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Hiftorical Diſeaſe ;
ON THE | 4 oY
Civil and Religious Affair 1

of the Coĩl or of

RHODE-ISLAND

A N D
Providence Plantations

-
% ¼ RET” . -o Mw
*

NEW. ENGLAND
in America. b

From the firſt Settlement 1638, to the End of
flieſt CENTURY, |

« ©»
* .

18 By JOHN CALLENDER, AM «KY

nnn.

—— —— —

OD — ÄU———

Joſhua xxii. 22. The LORD God of Gods, the LORD God if. | "I
Gods, he knoweth, and Iſrael ſhall know, if it bo in Rebellion, n . 1

if in Tranſereſſ on again the Lord. | ”
PCal. cxlv. 4. One 232 ſhall praiſe thy Nome 10 as 3
and ſhall declare thy mighty Act.. | „
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—— — —

To the Honourable =

William Coddington, Eq;

I is not barely to
give youa publick

F
— 2

8 LIVE; _ Teſtimon of my
e — tap —
ny perſonal Favours, nor
yet of that Eſteem and Re-
ſpect which alb Men bear
you, for your ſingular Equi
ty and Benevolence, nat on-
A 2 =,

2 DEDICATION.

inp private Life, but in all
the various Offices, in which
you haveſerved and adorned
your Country ; that I-prefix
your Name to theſe Papers :
But becauſe an Attempt to re-

cover ſome Account of this
happy Iſland, and to makea re-

ligions Improvement of-the

merciful Providences of God
towards it, is juſtly due to the
lineal Repreſentative of that
worthy Gentleman, who was
the great Inſtrument of its
original Settlement. 1h

Your) Hodbugel Grandfa:

Fe Milliam Coddington, Kiq;
was choſen i in | England to he

4 . an

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DEDICATION. 3

an Aſſiſtant of the Colony of
the Maſſachuſetts-Bay, 4. D.

1629, and in 1630 came o-
ver to New England with the

Governour and the Charter,
&c. after which he was ſeve-

ral Times rechoſen to that

honourable -and important

Office. He was for ſome

Time Treaſurer of the Colo-
ny. He was with the Chief
eſt in all publick Charges,
*and a principal Merchant

in Boſton, where he built

the firſt Brick Houſe.

In theYear 1637, when the
Contentions ran ſo high in
the Country, he was grieved

[9970S at

—w—

—_

Ot = — ent — —

4 DEDICATION

at the Proceedings of the

Court, againſt Mr. Wheel.
wright and Others. And
— he found that his Op-

poſitions to thoſe, Meaſures
was ineffectual. he entred his

Proteſt, that his Diffent

might appear to ſucceeding

Times; and though he was

in the faireſt Way to be
Great, in the Maſſachuſetts as
to outward Things, yet he
voluntarily quitted his Ad-

vantageousSituation atBofton;

his largePropriety. and Im-
provements at Braintree, for

| Peace ſake, and that he might

befriend, protect. and allt
the pious People, who Vers
medi-

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DEDICATION. 5

meditating a Removal from
A that Colony, ON account of
their religious Differences.

Here when the People
$ firſt incorporated . them-
ſelves a Body politick on this
Iſland, they choſe him to be
* their Judge or chief Ruler,
and continued to elect him
annvually to be their Gover-
nour for ſeven Years toge-
ther; till the Patent took
Place, and the Iſland was in-
corporated with Providence-
3 Plantations 1 oil t

„ Tnthe Year 1647, he af-
AM -: of

6 DEDICATION.

of Laws, which has been the
Baſis of our Conſtitution
andGovernment ever ſince;
and the next Year being
cholen Governour of the
2 declined the Of-

ce. 37151

In 1651, he had a Com-
miſſion from the ſupream
Authority then in England,
to be Governour of the Iſ-
land, purſuant to a Power
reſerved in the Patent: But
the People being jealous
_ © the Commiſſion might af.
fect their Lands and Liber- 7
ties as ſeemed to them by
the Patent, he readily laid
CPR 11

D E 10 LON. 7
it down; on the firſt Notice

from Eng land chat be might
do ſo; & for their further Sa-
q tisfaction and Contentment,

he, by a Writing under his
Hand, obliged himſelf to
make a Can Surrender of
all Right and Title to any of
5 theLands, more than his Pro-
portion in common with the

other Inhabitants, whenever.

it ſhould be demanded.

After that he e
retired much from publick

1 Buſineſs, till toward Fo latter
End of his Days, when he was
again divers I im mes prevailed

with to take theGovernment

upon him; as he did particu-

SH larly

8 DEDICATION

larly 1678, when he died Nov.
I. in the78:bYear of his Age, a
good Man fullof Days. Thus
after he had the Honour to be
the firſt]udge andGovernour
of this Iſland, * after he had
ſpent much of his Eſtate and
thePrime of hisLife in propa-
gating Plantations, he died
Governour of the Colony--

in Þ prog Seiya the Welfare
an

id the Proſperity of the lit ·
tle Common Wealth. which

he had in a manner founded.

ore was any Op ſition
Ac a

y Timetoany of his Mea-

4 \

3
3th

ſures, or if he met withany in

grateful Returns from any he Ylſe

bad ſeryed, it was no more Yan
: than vx

I
*

DEDICATION 9

| than what ſeveral of the other
! firſt excellent Governours
bol the otherNew- Engliſh Co-
lonies met with, from a People
made froward by the Circum-
ſtances of a Wilderneſs, and
Over jealous of their Privi-
| ledges. A free People will
always be jealous of their
2 Priviledges, and Hiſtory a-
2 bounds with Examples of the
2 Miſtakes and Ingratitude oc-
caſioned by that Jealouſy.

If the following Diſcourſe
has done any ſuſtice to the
$ Memory and Character of
I the pious People who firſt
ſetled thisColony, or if it has
any Tendency to .

the

'N
S
A
AY
9
WW
4 0
a

10 DED IC TON,

the true original Ends of this
Plantation, I am ſure of your
Patronage. And as to what
relates to ſome Articles, dif-
ferenti from your Judgment
and Practice in religious Mat-
ters, the Generoſity and Can-
dour you inherit from your
great Anceſtors, will eaſily
bear with me, endeavouring
to vindicate my own Opini-
ons on ſuch an Occaſion.

I hope there are fe or no
Errors in the Matters of Fact
related, or the Dates that
are aſſigned; to prevent any
Miſtakes, I have carefully re-
viewed the public Records,
and my other Materials; this
6 Review i

DEDICATION. II

? Review has brot to my Know-

ledge or Remembrance many
Things, that were not menti-
oned in the Pulpit, which
hovever it ſeemed ought not
to be omitted.

Il deſigned to have put all
the Additions and Enlarge-
ments, in the Form of Notes
for my own Eaſe, but have
been pe rſwaded to weave as
many of them as were pro-
per into the Body of the
* Diſcourſe, as what is general-
ly molt pleaſing to the Rea-
der. lam very ſenſible, ſe-
I veral Things will be thot too
» minute or perſonal by Stran-
gers, but the Deſcendents of
i = the

map” 2 ors tr —_— — my * 5 — — — 0 — w * *. — —
* — * —
— —
„ ”

12 DEDICATION

the Perſons concerned, and
theInhabitants of the Colony,
will readily pardon me. And
ſome other Things which are
familiarly known among our

ſelves, will be neceſſary to
Others. 1

It is much to be lamented
that many valuable Manu-

ſcripts of ſome of the firſt Set-
lers here, are ſo ſoon embez-

Tedandloſt And it is much

to be wiſhed, that ſome er-

tlemen of Ingenuity andLei
ſure, would takePains to col-

leFasmany oftheſe old Papers j
as can be found diſperſed a-

bout. I am apt to think,
that theſe, with the publick

Records,

Jjñuſt and clear Idea of all our

DEDICATION I

Records, would furniſh Ma-
! terials for a ut Hiſtory of
| the Colony. Ti

What is here preſented to
your View, will by noMeans

7 ſuperſede ſuch a Defign ; I
rather hope it will ſtimulate
| Gentlemen in every Part of
| theColony, to make a Search
after ſuch Papers, and more
2 eſpecially now, while theNew-

England Chronology is in Hand,

g compoſing by a Gentleman,
above all Exceptions univer-
ally acknowledged the belt

verſed in the Hiſtory of the
Country, and the moſt ca-
pable to give the World a

civil

7 —ů — rA —

—— —

— — — —
PE... CC . ˙ m OCR.” - 2.
.

14 DEDICATION.

Civil and religous Affair, and
who is already ſo well fur-
niſhed with Materials from
every other Part of the Coun-
try.

That the moſt High
would be pleaſed to bleſs

you with all the Bleſſings of

Grace and Providence, to-
gether with your pious Lady
and numerous Offspring, is

the Prayer of

Tour Honour s
moſt obliged
humble Servant,

Neu port on Rhode. Hand,
Octo anth 1738,

John Callender. }

Ca. |

=—_
4

N N
TL $/ 2.9 vi

$4.

i es
12 302 B36 e ee eee af
REERREEEEERESN

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

PS A L. LXXVII. 10, 11, 12.

T will remember the Tears of the right Hand of th
moſt High. 1 will remember the Work of the
LORD, ſurely I will remember thy Wonders ef

old, I will meditate alſo of all thy Work, and
talk of thy Doings.

8 it is now more than 4 Cen-
ssi ry, fince the Lands 2
the preſent Patent, or Char-
2 A 2285 ter of this Colony, began to

PRESS be ſetled by Engliſh Men,

SAGE AS and inhabited by Chriſtians

our Anceſtors; and as this
Day is juſt an Hundred Years ſince the Indian
Sachems - —— and the ancient Canonicus

—

1 The Name of this Sachem is uſually ſpelt in the kB. Books,
Miantonimok, but in all the Manuſcripts, Myantonomy, or Mian-
tonome, or Miantonomu, and the Name is ſo pronounced by
the People who take the Sound by Tradition, and not from
the Books, with the Accent on — laſt Sy llable but one

C #7 his

2 An Hiſtorical Diſccurſe, &c.

his Uncle and Guardian, figned the Grant of

this Ifland, to Mr. Coddington and bis Friends
united with him; and as Mr. FobnClark the Foun-
der under GOD, and the firft Elder of this Church,
and it's liberal Benefactor, was a principal Inſtru-
ment, in negotiating the Purchaſe, and Settle-
ment of the Iſland, as he was likewiſe afterward,
in obtaining and maintaining the old Patent, and
procuring the preſent Charter; I tho't it would
be but proper, to defer our Lecture, which in
Courſe fell out on Yeſterday, to this Time; and

now, I propoſe to lay before you, ſuch an Ac-

count as I have been able to collect, of the Oc-
caſion and the Manner of our firſt Settlement, to-
gether with a ſbort View, of the civil and religious
Hiſtory, and the preſent State of the C:lony, And
then to entettain you, with ſuch Reflections, as
the Subject will ſuggeſt, and ſuch Remarks, as
may ſerve to diſpoſe, and aſſiſt us, to 4 religious
Improvement of thoſe memorable Occurrences.

I confeſs the Account I have been able to col-
lect, is very lame and imperfe&, and for that
Reaſon, I ſhould have laid aſide the Deſign, if
I had not thought it, in Reality a Duty, to re-
collect and review ſo much as we can, of the
merciful Providence of GOD, in the ſettling and

preſerving this Colony ; and that we ought to re-

member the Tears of the Right Hand of the moſt

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An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 3

High, the Works of the Lord, and the Wonders of
old, to meditate of bisIWork, and talk of bis Doings.

And here in order to lay before you ſome
Account of the Occaſiin and Manner of our firſt
Settlement, and the Conduct of divine Providence
towards us ever ſince; it may be proper, pre vi-
ouſly to mention, a few Things relating to the
Settlement of Nzw-ExGLaxp in general,

And that we may take Things from the Be-
ginning, be pleaſed to obſerve that Oclober 12.
1492, * this Part of the World fince called A-
merica, before that wholly unknown to the reſt,
was firſt diſcovered by Chriſtopher Columbus, a
Genoe/e, in the Service of the King of Spain. The
Pope ſoon after, generouſly beſtowed the new
World, on the Spaniards, they made many ſuc-
ceſsful Voyages, and many great C-nqueſts and
Settlements in the ſouthern Parts of the new found
Wirld. Their Succeſs, and the immenſe Riches,

Where ſeveral Writers, give the ſame Account, tis need-
leſs to quote any one in particular, as *tis alſo, where the
Account, is taken from a Compariſon of many Authors,
with one another. However, I have followed the Dates in
the New England Chronology, where the moſt material Facts
are collected, and placed in the trueſt Light, and the
Dates fixed with the greateſt Accuracy, and Exactneſe.
The Reader will obſerve many Expreſſions marked.
theſe are the very Words, of the Authorities I follow, and
which I chuſe to make uſe of as often as conyeniently
might be. |

C 2 they

-t An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

they carried home to Earope, did in Proceſs of .
Time, excite other Nations, to put in for a Share |
with. them. Among the reſt the Engliſþ ( who
had narrowly miſt the Advantages of the fir
Diſcovery ) beſides their Enterprizes on the Spa-
niards, made many ſucceſsſive Attempts, to diſ-
cover and ſettle ia North-America.

| In 1578 or 1579, there was a Patent granted
| buy Queen Elizabeth for fix Years to Sir H. Gil-
| bert, to plant, and inhabit ſome northera Parts
il of America, unpoſſeſs d by any Prince, with whom
due had any Alliance.

March 25. 1584, Queen Elizabeth granted to
Sir V. Raleigh a Patent for foreign Parts not
poſſeſſed by any ChriſtianPrince. And the ſame
Year, he took Poſſeſſion of the Country, to the
weſtward of Roanoke, and called it Virginia, in
Honour of his Miſtreſs. He ſent three ſeveral
Colonies, to ſettle in thoſe Parts, who all failed. 1
| As did Capt. Ge/nold in a like Attempt, to ſet- .
tle, in what, is ſince called New- England, which 1
i he firſt diſcovered in 1602. And ſeveral other fl
| Attempts met with the like ill Succeſs.

——ä— ſ— —x —— — —

April 10 1606, King James divided Virginia
into two Colonies, which were called South and
North, the firſt between 34 and 41DegreesNotth,

and the laſt between 38 and 45, and they were
not

An Hiſtorical Diſtourſt, &c. 3
* not to ſettle, within an hundred Miles of one
b another. By 1611 the ſowtbern or London Com-
pany, had made an effectual Settlement; while
the nort bers or Plymouth Company were almoſt

diſſcouraged at their repeated Diſappointments.
However Judge Popbam, Sir Berdinando Corges,

aud others, continued their Attempts, and their

4 Deſigns, till divine Providence began aSettlement,

within their Juriſdiction, without their Know-

luedge or Contrivance.

It is acknowledged on all Hands, the firſt Set-
tlements of New-England, were a Conſequence
of the Diſputes, which attended the Reformation
in England; and therefore we muſt obſerve,

that dut ing this Time, viz. 1517, Learning ha-

a ving revived all over Europe, the Reformation
was begun by Luther, and others in Germany,
and carried on in ſeveral Parts of Chriſtendom,

j particularly in England, where, after a long
Struggle, it was finally eſtabliſhed, by A of

Parliament, under Queen Elizabeth, who began
= toreign November 1). 1558.

+ As the whyle Chriſtian Religion, had been cor-
rupted, and disfigured by the Inventions and Im-

X poſitions of Popery, in a long Courſe of Time,

3 it is ſo far from being to be wondered at, that it

could not, but be expected, that many, who

; were juſtly and equally offended, at the horrid
Corruptions

4 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

they carried home to Earope, did in Proceſs of
Time, excite other Nations, to put in for a Share
with them. Among the reſt the Engliþ (who
had narrowly miſt the Advantages of the fir
Diſcovery ) beſides their Enterprizes on the Spa-
niards, made many fucceſsſive Attempts, to diſ-
cover and ſettle ia North-America.

In 1578 or 1579, there was a Patent granted
by Queen Elizabeth for fix Years to Sir H. Gil-
bert, to plant, and inhabit ſome northern Parts
of America,unpofſeſs'd by any Prince, with whom
ſhe had any Alliance.

March 25. 1584, Queen Elizabeth granted to
Sir V. Raleigb a Patent for foreign Parts not
poſſeſſed by any ChriſtianPrince. And the ſame

Year, he took Poſſeſſion of the Country, to the

weſtward of Roanoke, and called it Virginia, in
Honour of his Miſtreſs. He ſent three ſeveral

Colonies, to ſettle in thoſe Parts, who all failed.

As did Capt. Go/nold in a like Attempt, to ſet-
tle, in what, is ſince called New- England, which
he firſt diſcovered in 1602. And ſeveral other
Attempts met with the like ill Succeſs,

April 10 1606, King Fames divided Virginia

into two Colonies, which were called South and

North, the firſt between 34 and 41DegreesNorth,

and the laſt between 38 and 45, and they were
| not

I
f
J
C
y

An Hiſtorical Diſtourſt, &c. *

not to ſettle, within an hundred Miles of one

another. By 1611 the ſeut bern or London Com-
pany, had made an effetual Settlement; while

the gort bers or Plymouth Company were almoſt

diſcouraged at their repeated Diſappointments.
However Judge Popham, Sir Ferdinando Gorges,
and others, continued their Attempts, and their
Deſigns, till divine Providence began aSertlement,

within their Juriſdiction, without their Know-

ledge or Contrivance.

It is acknowledged on all Hands, the firſt Set-

* tlements of New- England, were a Conſequence

of the Diſputes, which attended the Reformation

in England; and therefore we muſt obſerve,
that during this Time, viz. 1517, Learning ha-
ving revived all over Europe, the Reformation
was begun by Luther, and others in Germany,

: and carried on in ſeveral Parts of Chriſtendom,
particularly in England, where, after a long

| Struggle, it was finally eſtabliſhed, by AZ of
Parliament, under Queen Elizabeth, who began
to reign November 1). 1558.

As the whole Chriſtian Religion, had been cor-

rupted, and disfigured by the Inventions and Im-

PU
8 r * —

"I IE CO 3 IS
1

poſitions of Popery, in a long Courſe of Time,
it is ſo far from being to be wondered at, that it
could not, but be expected, that many, who
were juſtly and equally offended, at the horrid

Corruptions

6 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

Corruptions of Popery, ſhould yet be unable,
entirely to agree in their Sentiments, of what
Things were to be reformed, or how far, they
0 ſhould carry the Reformation at the firſt. And
yet this, was every where, a great and unhappy

| Remora to that glorious Work, and gave their
Ih Enemies, a very conſiderable Advantage, which

| they well knew how, and failed not to im-
prove to the utmoſt.

1 The Effects of theſe Diviſions, and the Ani-
1 moſities with which they were maintained, were
| ſf felt in England, not only, in the Beginning of
I! the Reformation, but after it was eſtabliſhed, and
| N even ever ſince to this Day. Among the Re-
| formers in Queen Elizabeth's Reign (many of
whom had been Exiles in Queen Mary's Perſe-
l cution, and ſo had more Opportunity, to ſee and
10 converſe with the foreign Proteſtants) there
| were many, who ſought to carry the Reformati-
on, farther in ſome Points, than had been done
4 in King Edward's Time. They ſought to take
| away every Thing, they imagined, had the Co- Þ
| Jour of Superſtition, and to make the Bible

their real Rule in Worſhip, and Diſcipline, as

well as in Faith. Theſe were preſently called
f Puritans, as pretending to ſeek a purer Church

State, and a farther Reformation, than the other

Party, tho't was neceſfary or expedient.

, Uh

* ,
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oſe .
Th Jt £ 1
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An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c, 7

FT pboſe, had not the ſame Exceptions, to many
Things the Puritans ſcrupled; and beſide, tho't
it was but good Policy, to make as few, and as
little Changes and Alterations, as poſſible, eſpeci-
ally in the Ceremonies, which moſt powerfully
affe ct the Vulgar, in order to draw in the Bulk
of the Clergy, and the Nation, to favour the o-
ther Alterations, which all of them eſteemed to
be, of the moſt Importance. And the Queen
zealouſly eſpouſing this Party, turned the Bal-

| lance in their Favour, and accordingly for ſome

Years, the whole Nation, in Effect, came to

Church, tho' the Times were far from being
ſetled.

The Puritans, it ſeems, had few or no Ob-
jections, to the Articles of Faith, but they chief-
ly, objected againſt the Liturgy, the Ceremonies,
and theConſittution and Diſcipline. But however,
they were not perfectly agreed among them-
ſelves ; while the much larger Part of them, Fa-

XZ thers of thoſe ſince called Preſbyteriant, generally
ſtrove to keep their Places in the Church, without
= conſorming to ſome of the moſt offenſive Ceremo-

nies, and by voluntary Agreement among them-
ſelves, ſought to remedy, and ſupply what they
tho't, was amiſs or wanting, in the parliamentary
Eftabl ſhment ; others of them, Fathers of thoſe
ſince called Independents and Congregationaliſts,
ſeparated wholly from the publick Worſhip, in

the

L An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

the Pariſh Churches, and ſought a thorough Al-
teration, in the whole Form and Conftitution of
the Church, and to lay aſide the Liturgy, and all
the Ceremonies together.

Queen Eliaabeth kept a watchful and jealous
Eye over them all, as fearing, and being deter-
mined againſt all farther Alterations in religious

Matters. And Subſcription and Conformity,

being at Times preſſed harder, as the Friends to
| the Puritans were out of Power, ſome of them,
it eſpecially of thoſe called Seperatifts, had been

W driven out of ;Eng/and, and at Length there was
| a Church of the Independent Scheme, formed at
Amſterdam in Holland. In the Reign of King
James (whom the Puritans expected, to be a
Patron to them, as he had been educated in
Scotland, and had openly cenſured the Church of
England) thoſeThings which offended them, were
carried with an higher Hand. In theYears 1608
and 1609, ſeveral more of them in the North of
England, removed to Holland, and a Number of
them ſettled at Leyden under the paſtoral Care of
Mr. Jobn Robinſon ( afterwards the Father of
Plymouth Colony) in hopes, to enjoy that Liber-

ty of their Conſciences, in a ſtrange Land, they
were denied at Home.

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Here they continued eleven or twelve Tears,

till, for many Reaſons, they began to meditate
a

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 9

} a Removal, and choſe to ſeek an Aſylum, ſome-
? | where in North- America near Hudſon's River,
| They had a long and tediousTreaty, withtheSou-
* thern or Virginia Company, who might reaſonably
expect, greater Sobriety, Patience, and Induſtry,
from aPeople of ſuch aCharaRer,and in ſuch Cir-

cumſtances, and who had ſuch Views and Deſigns

of their own, than they had found, in ſuch other
People, as they could prevail on, to tranſport them-
ſelves into a Wilderneſs. However the Factions
and Diſturbances in the Company, and other
Cauſes, delay'd the Affairs for ſome Time, till

1619, in the Fall, they obtain'd a Patent for the
Land, but they could not obtain a legal Aſſu-

rance of the Liberty of their Conſciences. How-
ever they determin'd at length to remove, de-
pending on ſome general Promiſes of Connivance,
if they behaved themſelves peaceably, and hoping

that the Diſtance, and remoteneſs of the Place,
es well as the publick Service, they ſhould do the
King and Kingdom, would prevent their being

diſturbed.

coutagements, from the Nature and Circumſtan-

Wome of the Undertakers, they arrived at Cape

I Cod on the gth of November 1620. Heis they
3 found their Patent uſeleſs, this Place beipg within

D the

After encountring many D.fliculties, and Diſ-

ces of their Voyage, and from the Treachery of

; Vi

„ —
—

10 An. Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

the Bounds of the New- England or Plymouth Com-
pany ; and yet Neceſſity obliged them to ſet
down thereabout. They did therefore two Days
after incorporate themſelves a Body politick, and
pil haviog made ſuch a Search of the adjacent
| Country, as their Circumſtances would allow, at
| that Time of the Year, they began their Settle-
1 ment, about Chriſtmaſs, at a Place, called by
| the Indians, Patuxet, by them named New- Ply-
| mouth. Iobaie almof were the Hardſhips, and
| Diſtreſles of the enſuing Winter, in which near.
| half the Company died, for want of Neceſſaries.
However through the merciful Providence of GOD
| they maintained their Ground, and through many
| Difficulties, which they overcame by Patience
| and the divine Bleſſing, they encreaſed to tres
bundred Souls in nine Years after, when they ob-
tained a Patent, from the New- England *

the 13th of January, 1629, zo.

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In that Period, there had been many ſucceſs= WM
leſs Attempts, to make Settlements in New- Eng-
land, for the ſake of Trade and Husbandry only,
as if divine Providence had reſerved the Place
for thoſe who ſoon after took Poſſeſſion of it.
The Succeſs of the Plymouth Planters began to
excite the Puritans, all over England, to medi-
tate a Removal, to thoſe Parts of the World, in
order to enjoy the Liberty of worſhipping GOD
according to their Conſciences. There was no

38 bas Ground

As Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. II

- | Ground at all left them to hope for any Conde-
et ſcention or Indulgence to their $cruples, but Uni-
8 formity was preſſed with harderMeaſurey than e-

d ver. AgreatPart of the Nation was alarmed with
at the Apprehenſions of Arminianiſm, and that eyen
at Popery itſelf was approaching; yea, the civil
e- Affairs, and the Peace of the Nation, began to
Yy. be embroiled and interrupted by the falſe Poli-
y ticks, and bad Councels of the unhappy Prince
2d an the Throne; ſo that New- England began to
ar. be looked on by them, as a Place of Reſuge;
es. and it is ſaid, that ſome who proved principal
JD FAdors in the 9 and Events that followed,
ny had even determined to tranſport themſelves.
ice hete, had they not been uoaccountably reſtrain-
ree fed by Authority. This is certain, the ſame
ö b- I E Principles i in ſome Furt os, which had rendred.
their Stay, uneaſy at Home, and which refuſed.

them a legal Toleration, in theWilds of America,
made their leaving the Kingdom, as difficult as
a 1 E Whereas could good Policy have pre-

ailed over Bigotry, it would have appeared A.
ly, K. Expedient for them, thus to clear the King-
ace Pom of the Diſaffected aad Nonconformiſts, and
| with them make ſuch an effeQual Plantation, as,
8 E. a great Addition to theTrade andRiches,

iN Its s Territory. .

9 44 . er 1s Yank
no 3 Mr.

12 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.
in Mr. White of Dorcheſter, the Father of the Maſ-
Il i fachuſetts Colony, encouraged Mr. R. C:nant, who
bi! had on Diſguſt, removed from Plymouth to Nan-
I tasket, to continue in the Country, with the
Il} Promiſe of Men, and all Things neceſſary for a-
li not her Plantation. Whereupon this Gentleman,
i 1625, removed to Cape- Ann, and the next Year
|

to Naumkeak, ſince called Salem, March 19,
jt! 1627,8, the Council for New- England ſigned the
it! Maſſachuſetts Patent, and March 4, 1628,9, the
King confirms it by a Charter. TheN.nconformiſts |
Wi ſo called, are buſily employed about their inten-

| ded Expedition. In 1628, they ſend Mr. Endi-

| cot, with ſome People, to begin and prepare the
| Way for them, and the next Year they ſend Mr_
| Higgin/on and many more, and 1630, Governour Þ
1 Vintborp, deputy Governour Dudley, with tbe
|

;

7. EE Doonan

— — — — - — —
K - —— —— EST.
——
—
=

— ß tñV— . — — —

— m

Aſſiftants, the Charter, and 1500 People, and al!
Neceſſaries, came over and made effectual Set-

10 tlements at Cbarlaſtemn, Watertown, Dorcheſter,
Boſton, &c. and more of their Friends coming
over to them, in the following Years, the new Þ}
Settlements encreaſed, and proſpered, notwith=
ſtanding the many Difficulties, and Hardſhips

which muſt neceſſarily attend, the planting ſuck
a remote Wilderneſs.

—— — — —
—

— — a —
2 *
r ů —n — — — — —
— — — -
— .

As the Country was more folly diſcovered, the | 4
Lands on Connefficus River, grew ſo famous for
their

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 13

their Fruitfulneſs, and Convenience to keep Cat-
tle, that great Numbers from New-Tows, Dor-
cbeſter, &c. removed there, under the Conduct
of Mr. Hains, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Ludlow, and
Me. Hooker, &c. and thro ine xpreſſible Hard-
® ſhips, thro' Famine, and Wearineſs, and Perils
of the Enemy, they at length ſettled at Hariford
1635 and 1636, which was the Beginning of
Connecticut Cilony, and in 1637 Neu- Haves Co-

© /ony, was begun by a People ditectly from Eng-
and, under the Leading of Mr. Eaton, and Mr.
Davenport, &c. Thus the four grand Culonies of
8 New- England, were begun in a few Years, and
ſome faint Attempts likewiſe made to ſettle, in
the Eaftward Parts, in the Province of Main, &c.
for the ſake of Trade and Fiſhery, and by ſome
of the People who afterwards came here. Which
brings me to the more immediate Occaſion of the.
Settlement of this Colony, and the Manner in which
| * was brought about, and acc:mpliſbes : It is allows,

ed by all Sides, the raligiens Differences among the.

g Y rſt Settlers of the Maſſachuſetts Colony, gave Riſe.

do this C/ony, and the ſertling of this Hand.

; „ all the firſt Settlers of New- England,
Pere Puritans, The People at Plymouth were ge-
Werally of that Sort called Seperatiſts, and thoſe of
1 Boſton generally had lived in the Communion of
he Church of England, tho? they ſcrupled confor-
3 ing to ſome of theCeremonies. But theſe being

D 2 come

14 As Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

come to ſo great aDiſtance from the Biſhops Pow-
er, could well enough agree in the ſame Forms
of Worſhip, and Method of Diſcipline with the
Church at Plymouth, and a mixt Form of Church

Goverament was generally ſer up. Tho' they

had ſeemed well enough united, by the common
bt Zeal againſt the Ceremonies, yet now they were

0 removed from the eccleſiaſtical Courts, with a
|

end cha 4 p , Sane tends * N
"rare, Zune 1 WE ED PO — 2 ; a 5
”

_
——— — oe
©

o 25 CIV — 9 —

—
* r

2 — —

Patent which gave them Liberty of Conſcience,
a Variety of Opinions, as to ſeveral Points, be-

—
3

| fore not ſo much regarded, and perhaps not
| tho't of, now began to be viſible, and operate

1 with conſiderable Effects. It is no Wonder ſuch
|

— - Are

———
1 —

Differences in Opinion, aroſe among them, as had
been the Caſe before among the Proteſtantsin ge-
neral. It was the avowedOpinion of ſome among
them of chiefeſt Note & Authority, (Mr. Hooker.)
& That there were two great Reſerves for En-

« quiry in that Age ofthe World, Firſt, where- MF
& jn the ſpiritual Rule of our Lord's Kingdom
6 doth conſiſt, and after what Manner it is re-

6 vealed, Wege, and maintained in the Souls
& of his People. The Second, After what Or-

der the Government of our Lord's Kingdom is
5* to be externally managed and maintained in

& his Church. aq Magnalia B. 3. p. 66.

Norwithſtanding wh'ch, the chief Leaders, 1
end the major Part of the People, ſoon diſcove-
ted chemſelves, as fond of Uniformity, and as WW”

loth |

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. I 3

bib to allow Liberty of Conſcience tp ſuch as dif-

: ſered from themſelves, as thoſe, from whoſe
Power they had fled. Notwithſtanding all their
Sofferings and Complaints in England, they ſeem-
ed incapable of mutual Forbearance,perhaps they
C were afraid of provoking the higher Powers at
Home, if they countenanced other Seats; and
X perhaps thoſe who differed from them, took
the more Freedom, in venting and preſſing their
X peculiar Opinions, from the Safety, and Protecti-

oa they expected, under a Charter, that had

; © granted Liberty of Conſcience.

la Reality the true Grounds of Liberty of Con-
© [cience, were not then known, or embraced by a-

1 ny Sect or Party of Chriſtians ; all Parties ſeem-
Jed to think, that as they only were in the Poſſeſſi-

| Jon of the Truth, ſo they alone had a Right to
reſtrain, and cruſh all otherOpinions, which they
© reſpectively called Error, and Hereſy, where

they were the moſt numerous, and power ful; and
N 1 in other Places they pleaded a Title, to Liberty
and Freedom of their Conſciences. And yet at

Rhe ſame Time, all would diſclaim Perſecution for

Feonfeience ſake, which has ſomething in it ſo

;
nn . *
P "IE

unjuſt, and abſurd, ſo cruel and impious, that all
Nea are aſhamed of the leaſtImputation of it.

; Pretence of the publick Peace, the Preſervation of
W be Church of Chriſt from Infection, and the Obſtt-

a4 of the Hereticks, are always made uſe of, to

excule

e 2

——— — 3; | _— — — — a — —
1 3 —— CCS - * — > 9
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222 * * God oo — -»
- = do — * et - 4 . 2 2 7 COPD Arc. ow

16 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

excuſe, and juſtify that, which ſtrip'd of all Diſ-
guiſes, and called by it's true Name, the Light
of Nature, and the Laws of Chriſt Feſus condemn
and forbid in the moſt plain and ſolemn Man-
ner. Mr. R. Williams, and Mr. F. Clark, two
Fat bers of this Colom, appear among the firſt,
who publickly avowed, that e/us Chriſt is King

in bis own Kingdom, and that noOthers, had Au-

thority over his Subjects, in the Aﬀairs of Con-
ſcience, and eternal Salvation. So that it was
not fingular, or peculiar in thoſe People at the
Maſſachuſetts, to think themſelves bound in Con-
ſcience, to uſe the Sword of the civil Magiſtrate,
to open the Underſtandings of Hereticks, or cut
them off from the State, that they might not in-
fe& the Church, or injure the publick Peace.
Theſe were not the only People, who tho't they
were doing GOD good Service, when ſmiting
their Brethren and Fellow-Servants ; all otber

| Chriſtian Sects acted generally, as if they tho't

this was the very beſt Service they could do to
GOD, and the moſt effectual Way, to promote
the Goſpel of Peace, and prove themſelves the

true and genuine Diſciples of Jus Chriſt. — of

Feſus Chrift, who hath declared, his Kingdom was
not of this World, who had commanded his Diſ-
ciples to call no Man Maſter on Earth, who had
forbidden them, to exerciſe Lordſhip over each other's |
Conſciences, who had required them, to Tet the
Tares grow with the Wheat till the Harveſt, and

* Who

A. Hiſtorical "Diſcourſe; &e. 27

ho had in fine, given mutual Love, Peace, Long-
uffering, and Kindneſs, as the Badge and Mark

bis Religion. |

"Mr. Roger Miliami, a | Mintfter, who came c-
fer to Salem. 1630, bad on a Diſguſt, removed
Plymouth, where he was an Aſiftant to their
Mate, Mr. Smith for two Tears. And being
iſguſted likewiſe at Plymouth, returned back to
Falem, where he was choſen by the People, to
188880 Mr. Stelton in 1634, the Magiſtrates op-
doſed his settlement there, as they had dobe be-
ore. They made great Objections to His Prin-
lples, and it is ſald ſome worldly Things, helped ,
0-encreaſe the Animoſities, that ſoon prevailed
gain him 3 tho' Mr. #illiams appeats, by the
hole Courſe and Tenour of his Liſe, and Cotyguct .
ere to have been one of the moſt diſi ntereſied Men
that ever lived, a moſt pious Es beavenly mindedSoul,
| Je wes charged with holding it unla wful for an
*- uncegenerate 4 Man to pray, or à regenerate
Man to pray with bim.“ That it was un-
5. lawful for the Magiſtrate, to meddle with the
+ „ Weeaches of the firſt Table, and that he in-
ſſted on an unlimited 7 oleration, or Liberty of
Conſtience; from wherice they. inferred” him,
an Adveate for” Licentgouſneſs, which the. good...
Man's Soul abborred,, „and erer diſclaimed. 75
However, on theſe: ego and fot teaching
#bt n WAS Snful, in whats Snſi and bow truly:
n E Iv

: : = * 1 Ss 4
1 F f **

18 An 1 Aorical Dj iſeemrſe, Kc.

is very obvious ) for oppoſing the Oath of Fidelity
(not ont of Diſl-yalty to the King, but on account
of the. Nature of an Oath, which he tho't as a ſa-
cred Thing, ought not to be forced on all Men
promiſcgoufly, whether in a State of Grace, or

Nature) © and for ſeperatiog from, and e
oC n Communion with, all the Churches

ia the Land, and even with his own, for not

joining with him therein.” For theſe Thiogs
be was at length baniſhed the Colony, 28 4 D
turber of the Peace of the Church and Common-
Wealth; and as he ſays, a Bull of Excom-
Ge munication, was ſent aſter him in Kio

* Abſence.” ns Tal GNP

o
* a *

—

He came away to Secun be, ſince calledRbyberh,
vhete he procured a Grant of Lands, from Ou-
Sanequin, or "Maſſaſoier, the chief Sachem of Po-

* lenotit. 'But- being defired to remove from
thence, which was within the Juriſdiction of
New-Plymonth, he had ſeveral Treaties. with
«© Myantonomy, and Canonicus, the Nentyganſic k,
or Narraganſet Suchems, in the Years 1634 and
> 2 2657 who aſſured him he ſhould not want
for Land, for a Settlement; divine Provi-
dence giving him wonderfully, great _Favour in
the Eyes of the Sachems. And in the Spring of
the Feat 1634.3, he came over the River, to a

Place called by the Indians Mo, ſbau fick, and by

him named Providence, ** in a Senſe f GOD's
© merciful

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An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. | 19

& merciful Providence to bim in bis Dißre.

And ſeveral of his Friends, following him,

they planted there. The, Authority and Power

of Miantonomy, awed all the Indians round, to
aſſilt and ſuccour theſe. few ſeeble and. helpleſs
Engliſh Men, thus caſt out by their Brethren, in
a (tcange Land: 7 However, we myſt, (to be im-
partial) own, that their beiog Engliſo- Men, was
a real Security and Protection to them; unleſs
the Indians had deſigned a general Wer. The

Engliſh at Maſſachuſetts, employ'd Mr. Villiams,

to make a League offenſive and deſenſive with
the Narraganſit Indian, in the Pegeet War,
which followed in 1637. And, the Indian Sa-

chems, in one of theſt Conficmatiops of theGrants

of Lands to him, * Expreſs. . their Gtatitude,
* for: the, many Kindaeſſes, and Services he had

&. continvally done for them, both with their
Friends at Maſſac haſetts, as alſo at ; Quaniticut,

and Apaum or Plymguth.” . Mc. Williams alſo
——_— a lovingCorreſpandence, with many of

his olde Friends to the Baſt, 400 Was eſteemed and

V-zued by many of them; tho' he ever oppoſed,

and hst 10 Print, once and again, What, he called
the lied Tenent, i. e,gyery Kind and. Degree of
| Taufen forConſcignce.! ſake. The Hardſhips

- bo :

P The ſaid; Wang is lated: 99 garſek, YR 24th of the

firſt Mon: h, commonly called March, the ſecond Lear of
our © Plantation, or N at Mogbaſock or Providence.
+024 That 14 wil SIT e

4 ſo.

SET Yo OLE 2% ARE M4

— —
— —
——
-

* : * =
44 4 A 74 Ne n ns

— 2 —

20 A Hiſtorical Diftourſe, &c.
end Diſtreſſes of theſe poor Exiles, are hardly

to be conceived by the preſent Generation, who
thro? the divine Goodneſs, have never eln any
Thing like what they chear fully endured. But

divine Providence, in which they truſted, ſoppor-
ted them, and provided for them in their greateſt

Straits, and wonderfully dleſſed their honeſt In-
duſtry, ſo that in a few Years, they had Plenty
of all Thing: 8 to their Subſiſtence and

Comfort. |

The Baniſhment of Mr. Williews, and "op vo-
lontary Exile of many of his Adherears, did not
put an End to the unhappy Diviſions, and Con-

rentions in the Maſſachaſtrs. Mr. Hains the
Governour, i in 2635, did with great Difficulty,

| ſill and quiet the Storm for the preſent,” in the

Beginning of his Adminiſtration; bur Mr. aſtet-
wards" Sie He ry Vane, jon. arriving at Bates
that Summer, and zealouſiy falling in with the
Opinions of vac Party, He was by wein per-

ſwaded, to tarry there, Ctho' deſigned for Con-

2 er F River ) and was the next "Year, *
17 Cove? tour, and then the Animoſities" a

a4 © =

Contenijont,'w were carried to a very
Due Side reptosching the other, 28 2

Treat d
guliſts and

under a Covenant - of Works, &c. and the others

- —_ = |

| calling wem | Familifts, Autinomians, c. The

Next Year, Mr. #7 athr 5 beigg rechoſen Covgr-
71 N with 2 great Srevggle, he reauouſly exerted

8 | b self

= * o — *
* , | —

An. Hiſtorical Diſtourſe, Sc. A
himfelf, to cruſh and exterminate the Opinions,
he difapproved.” A Synod wi called for that
End at New. jn (ſince vanſed Cambridge on
the zoth of Auguſt, where Eighty erroneous Opini-
ons, were preſented, debated, and condemned;
and a Court held on the ad of October following,
at the ſame Place, baniſhed a few of the chief
Pecfons, among thoſe who were aſperſed with
thoſe Errors; and cenſured ſeveral that had been
the moſt aQive, not, ir ſeems, for their bolding
thoſe Opinions, bit for their pretended ſeditious
Carriage and Behaviour; and. the Churgb at Boſton,
likewiſe . excommunicated, at leaſt one of her
Members, not for thoſcOpiait ans, but for denying.
they ever held them, and the —— which
theſe Hears occafioned ; and ſome of theſe, with
7 beir Friends and Followgrs, came to this Hand.

Noto ithitzndiog ſuch a formidable Number of
—— produced at the Synod, that which theſe
People differed in from the others, was chiefly this,
as Mr. Foby Clark has briefly repreſented'ir, he |
„ Touching theCovenants and in Point of coidearing
% Man's good Eftate. Symie'C ſays he) prefs'd
s bard for the Croenant of Works, and for Saniti=
<* fication to be the firſt and chief Evidence; others
| 6 (he means bimſelf, and thoſe who came here)
e « preſi d as. bard fer the Cvengnt of Grace, that
'- WH f© 24s of ablifbed on better Promiſes, and for the
d Wt Fividence of i the ie Spirit as that which is 4 more

65 Ny x. 23: ire,

w 1 Wo

@Qr Bu 1 4 @'W I Ve

*
*

„ . 22 Senne Kc.

cc ſurs, 3 and ſatisfator)Witns.” ( Clark's
' Narrative Intro} ., This Account is agteable to
what there is in thoſe Books wrote on the other
Side, 1 have had the Opportunity to conſult; on-
1y they muſt be allowed, to expreſs. theic own
Way, their own. Seatiments of the Opinions of
the other Side, and they add ſuch Shades as dar-
ken and disfigure the. | Opinions of the oppoſite
| Party, and ſer off their owh to the beſt Advan- |
rage, b ne OG .

mend c- 3 22175

"We; Mather, ths deſcribes * 18. \Qiefions,
debared dre den the Synod” and Mr. Cotton,
(Which were the ſame Points about which all
the Diviſions firſt began, ) they wete about
< the Order of Things in cur Unicy'to dur Lord
0 Jesus ©briſt, about the Influence of our Faith is
20 be Application of bis Righteouſneſs, about the L
ce of our Sandificatio in evidencing our Fuſti fi-
6 cation, and en the Copſideration of our Lord
on, Feſus Chrift, by Mev, (gt under 4 Covenant of
&* Works, briefly they were the Points whereon
8 depend, the Grounds of o our Aſſerance for Bleſſed- |
on, N is enother and better World. Mag. B. 7.

p. 17. ak 2G RS aro) 1K *
Me. Neal ſays, * e The Common: Wealth was.

-
©". &c<.1

* 1

0 tinimian Errocs, among the People.“ 4 re
eden

7 N *
: | An Hiſtriea Diſcomſe, Kc. 5
's | | |
0 | from the Writers before him, he gives the Oti- 3
* ginal of theControverſy, to this Purpoſe, The
* «© Members of the Church at Boſton, uſed to
* «© meet once a, Week, ro repeat the Sermons they
Ef heard on the Lord's: Day, and to debate
es | © on the Doctrines contained in them ; thoſe
& — Meetings being peculiat to the Men, ſame_ of _
No &« tbe zealous Women, tho't it might be uſeful to
TY « them. One Mrs. Hutchinſon, a Gentle woman
* ce of a bold and maſculine Spit it, and a great

% Admirer of Mr.Cotton;ſet up one at her Houſe
© The Novelty of the Thiog, and the Fame of
the Woman, quickly gained her a numerous
60 Audience, and from theſe Meetings aroſe all
ce the Errors, that ſoon after - . overſpread the
„ Country.” He ſays ſhe taught that Be lie vers
in Chriſt are perſonally united. to the Spitit of
GOD; that Commands to work out our Salvation
with Fear and Trembling, belong to none, but
ſuch as are under the Covenant of Works; that.
Sanctification is not a good Evidence of a good
Eſtate. She likewiſe ſet up, immediate Revela-
tion about future Events, to be believed as equal-
ly infalſible with the Scriptures ; ; and a great
many other Chimeras and Fascies, which ( ſays
he ) under a Pretence of exalting the free Grace
of GOD, deſtroy'd the praQicalParr of Religion,
Hand open'd a Door to all ſorts of Licentiouſ-
« neſs.” Nea!'s Hiſt, C. 5. p. 166.

; — w_l

| 2h . Ao Hiſhricel Diſcearſ, c.

2 mall not enter into the Merits of the Cavſes
there is neither Time, nor Occaſion for it, only,
I muſt obſerve, how each, Side.. aſcribed to the
others, - Conſequences, they. imagined followed
from their Opinions, which thcy did not ſee or
own, And particularly. the People who came
here, have Things laid to their Charge, which
they viterly denied, and deteſted equally with
their Antagoniſts. So harſhly did their Adver-
ſaries judge of them, as even to involve i in their
Opinions, or the Conſequences of them, a Deni-
al of the Reſurection of the Dead, and the Liſe
everlaſtivg ; which totally ſubverts and deſtroys
Chriſtianity, and all Religion at once, which ne-
ceſſarily implies a future state; when yet the
whole Debate ſuppoſed the Truth of Chriſtia-
nity, and the Certainty of a forure State; and
the main Queſtion, was about the Method in
which they might beſt obtain an Aſſurance of
their Intereſt in, and their Title to, the Inheri- \
tance of the Saints in Light, The very firſt of
the eighty Errors, to be tryed in the Synod, Goth
( as 1 jemeniber J charge the Denial of the Im-
mortality of the Soul, as a Conſequence of the
Opinion, that the Faculties of the Soul are paſſive
or quieſcent in the Work of Converſion and Re-
generation; when yet the Synod themſelves,

unanimouſly believed particular Election, and
itteſiſtable Grace. |
« The

1 r n * w
FEE 1 a” 12 Lo A" do al. . r Led” E

—— RT SF

FT RY"

4 ». ww. 0d 7% bas 0D oO.
— * CE. "> r

% . A TY P „ OI TT EI RR

As Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 25

* The Queſtion was, By what Evidence,
© muſt a Man proceed, in taking to himſelf the
© Comforts of hisJuſtification ? The bigger Part
© of the Country laid the fitſt and main Streſs
% of our comfortable Evidence, on our Sanctifi-
cation; but the Opinioniſts (ſays Dr. Mather)
*© were for another ſort of Evidence, as #beir
* Chief, namely the Spitit of GOD, by a powers
ful Application of a Promiſe, begetting in us,
* and revealing to us, a powerful Aſſurance of
our being juſtified.” Mag. B. 7. p. 14.

Now, as the Doctor adds ( even on this Way
of ſtating the Queſtion, or expreſſing the
Sentiments of thoſe called Opinioniſts, which
they would be far from acquieſcing in, as
expreſſing their full and true Opinion) “ The
Truth might eaſily have united both theſe
© Opinions.” But as he goes on, © They
* carried the Matter on to a very perrilous
*© Door, opened to many Errors and Evils,
c yea to threaten a Subverſion of the peaceable Or-
ct Jer in Government. But they deny and diſ-
claim the Conſequences ſixed on them, and juſ-
tify their own Opinion and Conduct, and charge
the other Party with as fatal and miſchievous

Conſequences, and a Conduct arbitrary and op-
pteſſive. Le

b "Beſides

26 | As Hiſtrica Diſcourſe, &:

Beſides the Differences about thoſe Points, for
which theſe People were charged with® Antino=
| mianiſm, what was called Familiſm, was perhaps
not a little offenſive. _ Nay their Differences in
Opinian were worked up to almoſt a State Quar-
rel at the laſt, as Arminianiſin had been in Hol-
land and Epiſcopacy was in England afterwards,
and * the Reformation ſill is all over Europe.
The publick Affairs of Town and Colony were
affected by theſe Contentions, andthe Gover-
nour and Aſfiſtants put in and out, as the one or
the other Side prevailed. The whole People un-
happily run into Factions and Parties, in ſuch a
Manper, as if Conteption and every evil Work,
had not been Evidences inconteſtable, that the
Wiſdom from which they proceeded could not
be from Above. But ſo it is, where Men differ
about Religion, their Contentions are uſvally the
moſt ſharp, and carried on with the moſt irreli-
giousHeat and Animoſity : Even tho they differ
about. the ſmalleſt Matters, 0 or when, as was the
Caſe, here, Wy differ from « each other mer in a
very little. * k

"bs. dh 1222

A great Patt of this Body of the ene 1 I
am apt to think, at the firſt, the Majority of the
Town of Bion, were 500 the ſame Side the
Queſtion with thoſe People who afterwards came
here. Tis certain the Synod and the Court were

both held at New. Jun; becauſe of the Diſaf-
fection

fection of the People of Boſton, The Deputies
of the Town, at leaſt ſome of them, openly eſpou-
ſed that . The Town, at leaſt many of
them, petitioned in their Fivour, And Mr. C-
ton, the chief Oracle then of bott, Town and
Conntre, was confidently believed by hem, Rl
be of the Opinion they contended fbr.

which I might add the Number of tb. Nen 10
that Town, that were cenſured at the Gurt.

Thoſe who came away were moſt of them long
eſteemed as Brethren of the Church, and never
cenſured by the Church at all; nay that Church
did long retain ſome Patticularities, as to the
Btethten's Power in Church Affaits, and their
Liberty to exerciſe their Gifts in private or fa -
mily Meetings, and as to the Subjects of Infant
Baptiſm. It is certain Mr. Vbeelwrigbe, Miniſ-
ter to a Branch of that Church, at a Place ſince
called Braintree (where the Town. had ſome
Lands) was eager and zealous againſt the Cove-
nant of Works; and was baniſhed by the Cours
for what was then called Sedition, by the ſame
Rule which will make every Diſſent from, or Op-
poſition to a Majority in any religious Affairs, to
be Sedition, and an Iniquity to be puniſhed by
the Judge. The minor Part muſt always be ſe-
ditious, if it be Sedition to defend their own re-
ligious Opinions, and endeavour to confute the
contrary. This Maxim once allowed muſt chain

F 2 Men

An.. Hiſtorical. Diſcourſe, Ye, | an .

28 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, cc.

Men 3 under Errors and Falhoods wherever
they prevail, and even rivet their Chains. On
this Foot, what will become of the glorious Mar-

tyrs for the Goſpel in the firſt Ages of it, and the

boly Apoſtles, who turned the World upſide down,
who turned Men from Darkneſs to Light, from
the God's of the Nations, whom they called Va-
nit iss, to the living and true GOD. Nay, what
ſhall we ſay of our bleſſed Saviour bimſelf, who ſays
he came to ſend Diviſion on Earth. How ſhall
we excuſe the Proteſtants, nay how ſhall we juſtify
the Peritans tbemſelves, if it be ſeditious to oppoſe
any religious Opinions we think are falſe or erro-
neous, when the major Part of the Society hap-
pen to think otherwiſe, I muſt farther add,
that however Mr. Cotton, at the Synod, after long
Labour with him, diſowned many of the Opini-
ons charged on theſe People, yet he would not
condema all the ſaid Errors in the Groſs, as the
reſt did, and there is ſome Reaſon to believe that
| he differed from the other Miniſters to the laſt,
at leaſt in the Manner of explaining theſe moſt
abſtruſe and difficult Points; if he did not con-
tinue to hold, that Union to Chriſt was before
* Faith in bim, and that the Habit of Faith pro-
© ceededor followed from our Fuſtification,” which
"tis ſaid, he once ſeemed to hold in the Synod z
and which was in Reality the Root or Fountain of
all "theOpinions fo much faulted in this People. And
however

n 5 ;

however Mr. Cotto has in Print diſowned them,

and they are by others charged withFalſhood and

Calumny, in ſhrouding themſelves under the
Authority of his great Name; yet they who
ſhould be owned to know their own Opinions,
and underſtand their own Expreſſions and De-
ſigns beſt, always perſiſted in it, that Mr, Ca-
„ ton was with them,” or that they meant no
more than they underſtood him to mean.

But to return-----,

The Affair was agitated inCourt for threeDays,
and ſome changiag Sides in the Court, the Ma-

Jjority was on the Side of the Synod, and took

Meaſures effectually to ſupport their own Opini-
ons. Whereupon, many of' the other Side
determined to remove, for Peace ſake, and
to enjoy the Freedom of their Conſciences. And
Mr. Fobn Clark, who made the Propoſal, was
* requeſted with ſome others, to ſeek out a Place,
© and thereupon by Reaſon of the ſuffocating
* Heat of the Summer before, he went North,
to be ſomewhat cooler, but the Winter fol-
“ lowing proving as cold, they were forced in
© the Spring to make towards the South: So ha-
e viog ſought the Lord for Direction, they a-
te greed, that while their Veſſel was paſſing about
* large and dangerous Cape, (Cape Cid) they
* would croſs over by Land, having Long - land

| and

ld
*
—

[|
l ;
[
[

30 A Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

c and Delaware-Bay in their Eye, for the Place
of their Reſidence. At Providence, Mr. R. Wil-
& jams lovingly entertained them, and being
* conſulted about their Deſign, readily preſen-
© ted te Places before them in the Narraganſet-
« Bay, the one on the Main called Sow-wames,
(the ſouth-eafterly Part of the Neck ſince cal-
led Phebe's Neck, in Barrington“) and Aqued-
© neck, now Rhode-Iland” And inaſmuch as

they were determined to go out of every other

Juriſdiction, Mr. Williams and Mr. Clark, atten-
ded with two other Perſons, went to Plymouth to

Enquire how the Caſe ſtood ; they were lovingly

received, and anſwered, that Sowames was the
Garden of their Patent. But they were adviſed to

ſettle at Aguet neck, and promiſed to be looked on

as free, & to be treated & aſſiſted as loving Neigh-
bours. (Mr. J. Clark's Nar.) On their Return,

the 7th of March 163, 8, the People to the Num-
ber of Eighteen, || incorporated themſelve a Body

* Perhaps Sowames is properly the Name of the River. where the
two Sanzey Rivers meet and run together for near a Mile,
when they empty themſelves in the Narraganſet By, or of a

ſmall Iſland, where thoſe two firſt Rivers meet, at the Bottom

of New MeadewNeck, ſo called. Y
Their Names are as follow, William Coddington,* John Clark,
"William Hutchinſon *Jobn Cogg:ſpall? William Aſpinwall”*Samu>
el Wilbore, Jobn Porter! John Sanford Edward Hutchinſon, jun.
Thomas Savage, William Dyre, William Freeborns, Philip
Shearman, Jobm Walker, Richard Carder,” William Baulſton,
Edward Hutchinſon ſen, Henry Bull. 5
politick,

1
4
4
f
1
]
1
5
:

An" Hiſtorical Diſcourſe," &td.

politick, and choſe Me. Coddington their Leader,
to be the Judge or chief Magiſtrate. After the
ſame Manner Plymouth and "Connefieut Cvlonitt
were forced to enter into a voluntary Agreement
or Covenant at the firſt, as having no legal Au-
thority amongſt them ; the People here however
immediately ſought. a' SR and ina . Yea
obtained one. —— q 1% engl 16558
bh. 1805! 2261 35Y

Mr. R. Williams. was very. inſteumentalio pro-
curing the//and:of the IndianSechems, and has left
this Account in perpatuam rei memoriam It was
not Price or Money that could have purcha-
ce fed Rbade- ſand, but 5 ae y; Love
c that Love and Favour wh ich that Up ba

8 Gentleman, Sir Henry Vane and "my had

WH T1719

« wich the great, Sachem My ant, noms, abet tlie
4 League which. I procured, between 15 ar

i, chuſetts Engliſh. and the Na 74 45 Us in th

c Pequot War... This i mention, t as br
«, truly noble Sir, Henry Vane,” 1 ith been ſd
« reat an laſtrumeot, in the "Aa 10 of G0
| 6c = procuring this Wind ö of the Barbe arians,
ao for the procuriog and confirming ——
nter, it may be with all thankful Acknowledg-
„ments recorded, and rememhred by | vs, and
a * ours who reap che feet Fruits af fo great\Be-
* © 'defits, and ſuch unheard of Liherties among
„, e . R. V., Ad in ano-
| _ eee tells us, thelafdigns. were very
& Hake oy

2 ˙ -m l 9 TO OO

tis Counſellors and-Fullowers. *

» An" Hiſtorical Diſcourſe," &c.

Joy and jealous of ſelling the Lands to any, and
choſe rather to make a Grant of them to ſuch as
they affected, but at the ſame Time, expected
ſuch Gratuities and Rewards as made an Indian
Gift often times a very deat Bargain. And the
0 "no Tears: agen. 1666 avered, that tho the

411

great Means of procuring che Grants of the Land,
yet the Purchaſe had been dearer than of any Lands
in Neu- Euglasd; the Reaſon of which might
be, partly, the Engliſb inhabited between two
powerful Nations, the Vamponoagi to the North
and Baſ, Who had formetly poſfeſſed ſome Part
of their G Gratirs, before they had ſurrendred it to

the Nr ref, and tho” they freely own'd' the

Sobmifon, Yor it was tho't beſt by Mr. Willtani,

do make them eaſy by Gratuit! 4,” to the Serben
1400 J
n the other Side

the . Narraganſerts were very. numerous, and the
N atives iphabitiog « any Spot the Engliſh ſat down
pon, or improved, were all to be bought off to
3 eit Content, and often times were to to de paid
oyer and « over again, "OW IO IN Maran

* *aNU3ota a 22

On 15 24th of March 1630, 8, this Day an
Hundred Nars, the Indian Sachems figned tbe Dted
Grant bf the hand Aquepneck, &c. and the En-
Fliſb not only: honeſtly paid the mentioned Gra-
ruities, to the Sachems, but many more to the

Inhabitants to remove off, as appears by the Re-
ä ceipis

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 33

ceipts ſtill extant. And afterwards, at a conſide-
rable Expeace, they purchaſed Quit-Claims, of
the Heirs and Succeſſors of the Sachems z- beſides
they were forced to buy over again, ſeveralParts
of the firſt Grant. So that they came very juſtly
by the Sil. And thus they deſcribe themſelves
twenty Years after, in anAddreſs to the ſupream
Authority in England 1659 ; This poor Colony
( ſay they) moſtly conſiſts, of a Birth, and
© Breeding of the moſt High. We being an
*© outcaſt People, formerly from our Mother-

© Nation, in the Biſhops Days, and ſince from
«© the reſt of the New-Engliſþ over zealous Co-
© lonies. Our whole Frame, being much like

the preſent Frame, and Conſtitution of our
% deareit Mother England; bearing with the
© ſeveral Judgments, and Conſciences of each

** other, in all the Towns of the Colony; which
% our neighbour Colonies do not; and which is
*© the only Cauſe, of their great Offence, a»
5c gainſt us.“

The Settlement began immediately, at the Eaſt-

ward cr Northward End of the Iſland, (then called
Pocaſſet,) * round theCove,agd the Town was laid

686 out

* All our Hiſlories call the main Land, over avainſt the eaſter-

ly, End of the Iſland, where is nowTiverton. &c. by the Name

| of Pocaſſet, and in the Indian Grant to the tirſt riese he

ſame Place ſeems to be called Powacaſich, Bur is as ws
nt

| 34 4 Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

out at the Spring. And many of their Friends
following them that Summer, theit Number was
0 ſo conſiderably increaſed, that the next Spring,
j ſome of the Heads with others, came to the
i Futberx or weſtern End of the Iſland. The Hand
was divided into two Townſhips, the eaſtern Part
if called Portſmouth, and the other Newport ; and
1644, they named the Iſland the /e of Rhodes or
| Rhode. Iſland. Thus began theSettlement of this
bl: Iſtand and Colony, and thro? the good Hand of our
| GOD upon us, we have continued to this Day.
If GOD has bleſſed and proſpered the People, in
theic Labours, and preſerved to them their Pri-

i viledges, for the ſake of which they followed
1 him into the Wilderneſs.

. And now having ſeen ſomething of the Occa-
„ ſion, and Manner of our firſt Settlement, let us
| take a Hort View of the Hiſtory, and preſent Stats
0 | of the Cylony. |

dent in our Records, that the eaſtern End of the Ifland, is

|
| t
called by the ſame Name; perhaps it I may be inzulgeda |
| Conjecture, the Name, properly belonged, to the Strait in I.
1 the Ritey or Bay, at the eaſtern End of the Iſland, where 1s 4
ky now Howland's Ferry, and the Lands on both Sides might
If be called Pecaſſet, till the Engliſh Name of Portſmouth tor d
i the eaſterly End of the Iſland prevailed, when the Indian ]
0 Name Pocaſſet might became confin'd to the main Land, ;
l . wluch was not ſetled by the Engl for many Years aſter,
il "Tis certain every remarkable Strait, or Fall in a River, |
i had a Name among the ſndians, as well as every Point of h
it Land in the Bay. A Knowledge of the Meal. ing of the
| ſnaian Fords, u auld decide all ſuch Diſputes. C
if And
|
{

, y TR. 9.

An Hi orical Diſcourſe, &c. 34

And here in the ficſt Place, as to the inbabiting
the other Lands, and erecting the other Towns now
within our Bounds.---- At the ſame Time the Iſland
was inhabited, a Number of the Providence Peo-
ple, Mr. Arnold, &c. ſat down at Patuxet, a Place
adjoining, and within their Grant. They were
encouraged by the Meadows, on theRiver, which
were every where an Inducement, to People to
ſettle themſelves, as they-immediately furniſhed
Food for their Cattle inthe Wiater.

In 1642,3, on the 12th of January, Sbawomet,
or Miſhawomet, ſince called Warwick, was pur»
chaſed of Mantonomo; Pombam the pettySachem
conſenting to the Sale or Grant, tho' he after-
wards denied it. The Grant was made to Ran-
dal Holden, Jobn Wickes, Samuel Gorton, Fobn
Greene, Francis Weſton, Richard Waterman, Fobn
Warner, Richard Carder, Samſon Sbotton, Ri bert
Potter, William Waodeal.

Here it may be proper, to take ſome Notice of
the religious Opinions of Mr. Gorton, whoſe Fol-
lowers were called Gortonifls, or Gertenians, hol-
ding ſome Things peculiar to themſelves, and

different from all the other People in New- Eng-
land. |

He came to Rbade- Iſland in June 1638, where

he tarried 'till 1639, 40, that he was on ſome

Contentions baniſhed the Ifland. 'Thence he
G 2 went

38 _ An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

went to Providence, where many of the People
growing uneaſy at his planting and building at
Patuxet, and complaining to the Maſſac buſett s-
Government in 1642, he was ſummoned to appear
before their Court, which he defpiſed. But how-
ever he purchaſed this Tract of the Indians, and
removed there with his Friends. But new Com-
plaints ſoon went to Boſton from ſome of the Eng-
liſh, and Pombam and Sucononoko petty Sachems of
the Indians, who it ſeems, were willing to take
Advantage of the Protection of the Maſſacbu/etts-
Engliſh, to revolt from their SubjeRion to Myan-
tonomy, as Maſſaſvit had done before, by Means
of the Plymouth- Engliſh, Hereupon Mr. Gorton
and his Friends being ſummone d to Court, he re-
fuſed to obey, as out of the Juriſdiction, both of
Boſton and Plymouth, who both ſought to ſtretch
their Bounds, to have taken him in. The Go-
vernment at Jength, ſent up a Company of ar-
med Men, who after a fruitleſs Treaty, made
him and his Friends Priſoners, except a few wbo
eſcaped by Flight. They were carried to Baſton,
and aftera Tryal in their Court, condemned, to

be confined in a ſevere, and even a ſcandalous

Manner, in ſeveral Towns, for the Winter, and
in the Spring baniſhed the Colony, They came
to Rhode-Iſland, and fearing to be again troubled,
the Maſſachuſetts ſeeking a Patent of ſome of

the Narraganſes Country, they procured» an
Aya) and ſolemn Submiſſion of the Sachems to

King

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, '&c. &y

King Cbarles, on the 19th of Auguſt 1644, and
Meſſi. Gerton, Greene, and Holden, went to England,
and obtained an Order, to be ſuffered peaceably
to poſſeſs their Purchaſe, And the Lands fore»
mentioned, being incorporated in the * Province of
Providence Plamations ; They returned & carried
on their Improvements, naming their Purchaſe
Warwick, in Honour to the Earl of Warwick, who
gave them his friendly Protection.

What Mr. Gorton's religious Opinions really
were, is now as hard to tell, as tis to underſtand -
his moſt myſterious Dialict, for there are ſufficient
Reaſons, why we ought not and cannot believe,
he held all that are confidently fathered upon him.
For tis certain that whatever impious Opinions,
his Adverſaries imputed to him, and whatever
horrid Conſequences they drew, from the Opinions
he owned; he aſccibed as bad to them, and fixed
as dreadful Conſequences on their Tenets; and
at the ſame Time, in the moſt ſolema Manner,
denies and diſavows many Things they charge
him with; above all, when he is charged with
denying a future State, and the Judgment to
come, both in Theory and in Practice; he pe-
remptorily, and vehemently denies the Charge,
and ſolemnly appeals to GOD, and all that knew

— © «Kd

* They ſometimes called themſelves the Colony, ſometimes the

Province of Providence Plantations, and ſometimes the Colony

FP at ls | : |
him,

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3Y An Hiſtorical Diſceurſe, &c.

him, of the Integrity of his Heart, and the Purity

of his Hands; and avers, that he always joins
Eternity with Religion, as moſt eſſential. Aod
that the Doctrine of the general Salvationiſts,
was the Thing which his Soul hated.) Ms. Let»
ter in Anſ. to Mr. Morton's Memorial.)

In an Addreſs to King Charles II. 1679, he
diſowns the Puritans, and moſt unaccountably
ſays, he ſucked in his peculiar Tenets, from the
Breaſts of his Mother, the Church of England.”

He ſtrenuouſly oppoſed the Docttines of the

People called Druakers, I am informed that be
and his Followers, maintained a religious Meeting,
on the firſt Day of the Week, for above ſixty Years,
and that their Worſhip conſiſted of Prayers to
GOD, of Preaching, or expounding the Scrip-
tures, and ſinging of Pſalms. He lived to a great
Age. He was of a good Family in England,
and ſays he made uſe of the. learned Languages
in expoundiog the Scriptures to his Hearers.

About 1642, 3, there were two trading Houſes,
ſet up in the Narraganſet Country; one by Mr,

Wilcox, and Mr. R. Williams, the other by Mr.

Richard Smith, and ſome few Plantations made

near them, on particular Grants or Purchaſes of
the Indians, but not very many *cill 1657:

When ſeveral Gentlemen on the J/and, and
eſſewbere, made a confiderable Purchaſe, called
the

Fey ie tte tg 3

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Ge: 39.

the Petaquamſcut Purchaſe. And the ſame Lear

there was a Purchaſe of the Iſland of Canonicut, as
the ſmaller Iſlands had been purchaſed before.

In 1665, Miſquamicut was purchaſed of the
Indians, and it was granted a Townſhip by the
Name of Weſterly, 1669. In 1612 Maniſſes cal-
led Block- and, was made a Townſhip, by the

Name of Neu-Sborebam. In 1674 the Inhabi-

tants at Petequamſcut and Parts adjacent, had
their Lands incorporated, a Townſhip by the
Name of Kingſton, And in 1679 the Town of
Eaſt-Greenwich was incorporated, and 1678 Ca-
nonicut Iſland, or rather Qtenonoquot, was in-
corporated a Townſhip by the Name of James-
Town. In 1122, the Lands properly called Nar-
raganſet, were divided into the two Townſhips of
North aud South- Kingſton. In 1929 the whole
Colony was divided into three Counties, for the
Eaſe of the Inhabitants. And 1730 the Town
of Providence. was divided into the four Towns of
Providence, Smithfield, Gloceſter, and Scituate-
The whole Land being filled with Inhabitants,
partly by the coming in of ſome tew from othec
Places, but chiefly by the natural Increaſe of the
ficſt Setlers. * Ia the foreſaid Year 1730, there

* In 1738 the Town of Weſterly is divided, and the eaſterly
Part of it, erected into a Townſhip, by the Name of Charles-
Town, which may be to the Honour of King Charles the IT,
who grantcd us, our preſent Charter,

Was

—
— 1— —— — — —

——— — — — ——
- — * - -— —
= * = 2s 1

x8 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.
was by the King's Order, an exact Account
taken of the Number of Souls in the Colony, +

and they were found to be no leſs, than Sven-
teen Thouſand Nine Hundred and Thirty Five, of

which no more than Nine Hundred and Eighty

Five, were Indians, and One Thouſand Six Hun-
dred and Forty Eight, Negroes. So that the En-
gliſb in all were Fifteen T. bouſaed Three Hundred
and two. |

Some of the principal Perſons, who came at
ficſt to this Iſland, removed again in a little Time,
ſome to Long Hand for larger Accommodations,
ſome to Maſſac buſets again, where three * of

; thoſe Families, have made a very conſiderable

Figure, ever ſince to this Day. A conſiderable

Number likewiſe, removed to the other Towns

in this Colony, and many ſetled in the Parts ad-

f The ſaid Account was taken before Providence Townſhip was
divided. The whole Account is this,

Whites. Negroes. Indians.
Newport, 3843 649 148
Providence, 3707 128 $2 *
Poriſmouth, 643 100 70
Warwick, 1028 ä 77 73
Meſterly, 1620 56 250
North- Kingſton, 1875 165 65
South Kingſton, 965 3.33 225
Eaſt Greenwich, 1149 40 34
ames-Town, 222 80 19
ew Shorebam, 250 20 _—
15302 1648 985

P Hutclisſon, Dummer, Savage,

E . . et BIT 5-4. W e de oe ASSOCIATES ee

As, Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Bic. 41

jacent, that are within the Colony of Plymouth,

Nevertheleſs in 1736 the Inhabitants of the whole
Hand were Five Thouſand four Hundred and Bifty
Eight, and of this Town Four Thouſand fix Huna
dred and Forty, who are no doubt by this Time
increaſed to Five 7 bouſand Sal. The Trade and

Buſineſs of the Town at the firſt, was but very

little, and inconſiderable, confiſting only of a lit«
tle Geru and Pork and Tobacco, ſent to Boſton, 1

a few European and other Goods, they could not
ſubſiſt without, and all at the Merey of the Tra-
ders there too. ® Ar preſeat there are above ons
Hundred Sail of Veſſels belongiat to this Towng
beſides what belong to the reft of the Colony.
GOD grant, that as we increaſe i in Numbers and
Riches, we may not increaſe in Sin and Wicked-
neſs ; but that we may rather be lead, by the
divine Goodneſs, to reform whatever may bave
been amiſs or wanting among us.

As to the Form of Government we have paſſed

under, it muſt be obſerved, the Government has

Perhaps it may de agreable ro * . to ohne, that
about 1660, and many Years after; Proviſion Pay was
100 per Cent. bericath Sterling Money. 10 1687 the Prices

_ of Goods ſet to pay Taxes in, were, Wool 8 d. per Pound,
Butter 4 4 Indian Corn 17. 6 d. per Büffel. If the Tax
was paid in Money, then there was to be an Allowanee of
2 of one fixthPart, and that pet haps will nearly give

the true currem Price, of thoſe Kinds is of Pr oviſion, at that

Time.
H been

42 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

heen always more or leſs demccratical. At the firſt
Tacorporation on thelfland,thePeople choſe aFudge
to do Juſtice and Judgment, and preſerve the
publick Peace; and towards the latter End of the
Year, on the ſecond Day of the eleventh Month,

| they added three Gentlemen as A/ifants to bim
in his Office. + And ſoon after appointed all,
to take the Oath of Allegiance to the King, ac-
cording to the Statute. In 1640 they voted,
the chief Magiſtrate ſhould be called Governour,
the next Deputy Governour, and | four Gentlemen
choſen out of the two Towns, Aſiftants. Their
Names were V. Coddington Governour, V. Bren-
ton Deputy Governour, N. Eafton, J. Coggeſball,
W. Hutchinſon, J. Porter, Aſſiſtants. The next
Year R. Harding, was in Mr. Eaſton's Place, and
Mr. V. Baulſton in the Room of Mr. Hutchinſon,
(who perhaps removed) and the next Year Mr, |
Eaſton was choſen Aſſiſtant again, and tboſe fix n
Gentlemen, held their Offices, till the Patent of
Incorp ration.

At Providence, all new Comers promiſed © to.

ec ſubmit themſelves in active or paſſive Obe-
„ Gience, to all ſuch Orders, and Agreements,

+ The three Elders were Nicholas Eafton, Jobn Coggeſball, and
William Brenton,

The Six Gentlemen were . Coddington Governour, .
Brenton Deputy Governour, N. Eaſton, F.Coggeſball, V. Baul-

+ fon, and J. Porter, Aſſiſſants.

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 43

c as ſhall be made for publick Good of the Body,
e in an orderly way, by major Conſent of the
© Inhabitants,” but this being inſufficient, 27th
Day 3th Mo. 1640, they did to the Number of
neat” 40 Perſons, Combine in a Form of civil Go-
vernment, according to a Model drawn up by
ſome of themſelves, as moſt ſuitable to promote
Peace and Order in their preſent Circumſtances
which however left them in a very feeble Con-
dition. TY |

But all the Inhabitants in the Narraganſet- Bay,
being without a Patent, and any legal Authority,
1643 Mr. R. Williams, went to England as Agent,
and by the Help and Affiſtance of Sir HenryVane,
Jun. obtained of the Earl of Warwick (appointed
by Parliament Governour & Admiral of all the
Plantations) and bisCouncil, * a free and abſolute
Charter of civil Incorporation, by the Name
be of the Incorporation of Providence Plantations
«© in the Narraganſet- Bay lin Neu- England ; ”
impowring them © to rule themſelves, and ſuch

+ The firſt twelve Perſons who came to Mr. Williams, and
therefore had, by vertue of his Conveyance, ſome Prero-
gative with him, in the Diviſions c. of the Land, were
Willlam Arnold, Jobn Greene, John Throgmorton, Thomas
2 1. William Harris, Thomas Olney, Richard Waterman,
rancis Weſton, Ezekiel Holliman, Robert Cole, Stukeley M-
coat, and William Carpenter Soon after came to them Chad.
Browne, Wm. Fairfield, J. Warner, E. Angel, F. Windſor, R.
Scott, Wm, Reinolds, Wm I ic tenden, Gregory Dexter, &c. &c.
molt of whoſe Names remain in a numerous Poſterity.

H 2 6 as

44 An Hiſtorical Diſtourſe, &c,
«5 as ſhould inhabit within their Bounds, by ſuch
$* a Form of civil Government, as by the volun-
be tary Agreement of all, or the greater Part,
*© ſhall be found moſt ſerviceable, | in their Eſtate
c“ and Condition; and to make ſuitable Laws,
66 agreeable to the Laws of England, ſo far as
15 the Nature and Conſtitution of the Place will
f admit, &c, ?*—— It was dated 17th of March,
19˙b Charles, i, e. 1643,4. but it don't appear

how long it was, before Mr. Villiams brought it
over. It is not to be wondred at, if it took them

ſome Time to agree in a Methd,

4 Ia 1644 May 19th, a Cobaral Aſſembly of the
NH Province (as then called) eſtabliſhed a Body of
4 very good and wholeſome Laws, agreeable to the
Engliſh Statute Book; and erected a Form of civil
Government for the Adminiſtration of the Laws,
and the making ſuch other, as ſhould be found
neceſſary. The ſupreme Boar. was left in the
Body of the People, aſſembled in an orderly
[ way; 4 Court of Commiſſioners, conſiſting of ſix
| Perſons, choſen by each of the four Towns of
Providence, Portſmouth, Newport, & Warwick, had
a Legiſlative Autbority, at leaſt, their Acts were
to be in Force, unleſs repealed within a limited
| Time, by the Vote of the major Part of theFree-
q men 7 the Province, to be collected at their
| reſpective Town Meetings appointed for that End.

w © 14 uv

ww OO +», @

Ro A mA < 0 Kyu

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Ge. 43
3 A Preſident & four Aſſiſtants were choſen year-

ly, to be Conſervators of the Peace, with all cidil

Power, and by a ſpecial Commiſſion, they were
Judges of the Court of Tryals, aſſiſted by the
t Wardens or Juſtices of the particular Town,
ia which the Coutt ſar from Time to Time. 2

Every Town choſe a Countil of þ f: * Porfons, to

}

manage their Town Affairs, and their Town
Court, had the Tryal of mall Caſes, but with

an Appeal to rhe Geurt of thePreſident & Aſſociates.

This Form ＋ Government ſubſiſted till 1651,
when there were ſome Obſtructions to it, by a
Commiſſion granted from the Council of State, to

the principal Inhabitant of the Iſland, to

govern the land, wich a Council choſen
by the People, and approved by himſelf. But

thePeople thinking it, aViolation or Incroach-
ment on their Libecties, and Purchaſes,as grant-
ed and ſecured by Charter ” ; immediately diſ-

patched Mr. R. Williams and Mr. J. Clark” to
England, as their Agents, and tbey eaſily procured
an Order from the Cruncil of State, to vacate or

ſuſpend the Commiſſion. This Order is dated ad
of October 1652, but by Reaſon of ſome Mis
undetſtandings between the four Towns, it was a

Lear or two before they returned to their old
Plan, which then laſted to the preſent Charter.

* — = -. 4
” =_ * *. *

1
r

6 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

In 1663 Fuly 8. Charles ad. granted an ample
Chatter, whereby the Province was made a Body
& Corporate and Politick, in Fact & Name, by
© the Name of the Governour and Company of
& th EngliſÞColony of Rhode - Iſland and Providence
&« Plantations in Neu- England in America.” This
CHanrs nr we enjoy to this Day, thro' the mer-
ciful Providence of GOD. And as every one
knows, the Form of Govetnmeant eſtabliſhed in
it, I need ſay but little about it. The Governour,
the Deputy Governour, and ten Aſſiſtants choſen
yearly by the Freemen, on the firſt Wedneſday in
May, have the Adminiſtration of the Government
in their Hands; and together with thirty ſix De-
paties, + choſen half yearly by the ſeveralTowns,
make up the General Aſſembly ; which is the bigh-
eſt Court in the Colony, and our Legiſlature: im-
powred to make Laws as to them ſhall ſeem meet,
for the Good and Welfare of the ſaid Company--
** ſo as ſuchLaws be not contrary and repugnant
% onto, but as near as may be, agreable to the Laws
* of England, conſidering the Nature & Conſtitution
* of the Place and People there.”

' This. Aſſembly meets twice a Year by Charter,
on Election Day, and the laſt i edneſday of October.

+ The Town of Charleftown being erefted ſince this was pre-
pared for the Preſs, the Number of Deputics is now Thirty

_ Eight.
| The

—

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

The firſt, by Law is held at Newport, and the laſt
at Providence & South- Kingſton alternately. The
Governour has no negative Voice, and the major
Vote of the whole Aſſembly in one Houſe, de-
termines in theChoice of-civil or militaryOfficers,
but in the paſſing Laws the — ſits in two
Houſes. |

It would be too tedious, to give a particalae
Account of all the repeated Attempts, and Stra-
tagems made uſe of, to wreſt the Juriſdiction and
Propriety of a conſiderable Part of the Lands
within our Patent from the Colony.

Therefore I proceed to ſay,

When Col. Dudley was appointed Preſident of

the Maſſacbuſetts, the Narragasſet Country, called
then King's Province, was included in his Com-
miſſion. In 1685 October 6. a Writ of Quo War-
ranto, was iſſued out againſt the Colony, which
was brought here June 26. 1686, by Ed. Ran-
dolph, Eſq; whereupon the Free Inhabitants, eſ-
pecially of the chief Towns, met at Newport on
the 29th, and gave in their Opinion to the Gene-
ral Aſſembly, and left © the further Proceeding
to the judicious Determination of the Aſſembly.”
The Aſſembly upon ſerious Conſideration, pub-
liſhed and declared, that they determined, not to

** ſtand Suit with His Majeſty, but to proceed, by

humble

4
x]

- < _

as
© bumble Addreſs te His Majeſty to continue elan;
cc Priviledges & Liberties according to the Charter; re

Hs Hiftorital Diſcourſe, & e.

and they accordingly ſent home an Addreſs ta
the King, who by his Anſwer promiſed them
Protection, and Favour. However the Colony

was put under the Government of Sir Ed, Anaroſs,

and - ſuffered with others, ſeveral Hardſhips, and

ſevere Impoſitions.”

The Reaſons why the Aſſembly choſe not to
ſtand Suit with the King, were partly their Po-
* verfy, and Inability to bear the Expence of ſ ach

* of the many Corporations in England, which
© had in the likeCaſe ſurrendered their Charters,”
and perhaps the ſecretHope they ſhould find more
Favour with the King, by this way of Proceed-
ing, was the principal Motive.

Fanuary 12. 1686, ). Sir Edmund Androſs's
Commiſion to be Governour of this Colony, with
the reſt of New England, was publiſhed here, and
the Colony made one County, and governed wy
civil Officers under him.

| After the Revolution in England, there was

| a General Aſſembly of the Freemen of the

Colony at Newport, May 1. 1689, who agreed
that ſince Sir Ed. Andro/s was ſeized and con-

ſome of the Inhabitants. 1 am ſatisfied A great

An Hiſtorical 4 Ditowſy, kee. 49

et his Authority ilenced and depoſed,t w 120
te Doty, & to lay b hold 15 their former. "Char per Pris

to the Grown of Laage, they re laced all the

* x

ears before, But fo fl ome of the Getitlemen afrers

wards. decli ging fo ac by this Authority 14 genes
ral Affen Doſs called Fehruaty. 20 fene wg, ten
others in their R oom. And there fiaviog'! been no
Judgm ent againft t he ym 4 the Gobernmemt
allowed of, the teſtimi ng it ; and thro" the divine
Goodneſs, end the Clemedey, Joſtite; and Fru -
dence of obr Punces, it Has been contihvied ever
fince, 'GOD grant, we may never forfeit nor
joſe our precious 16d invaluable Liberties and
Priviledges z and that we may ever ws ien
with Beudence, and Diſcretion, with Gratjtude to
GOD, db Gopernour of the World 5

% a 0
Loyaky to the Crown | gone rey:

general Officers that ag! been d ſplaced three

Al $4 3 OW Of

11 is how more ches Tune for neo ly bo
you, ſoqme Artount'df ow aki Aar.

It is a Pitty we cannot iatirely couſpte al {bs
oßprobrious T. bings, which ſome have written ol

many of them were wholly graundleſs, any
others very much aggravated, and thiſrepreſens
ted, and ſome Things made to be Reproaches,
which in — Praiſe-worthy..

Fo 45 1 forical Diſcoure, &c.

1 take it. to have been no Diſhonour | to the co-
| jony, that Chtiſtians, of every Denomination,
were ſuffered to lead quiet and peaceable Lives,
without any Fines, or Poniſhments for their ſpe-
culative Opinions, or for uſing thoſe external
Forms of Worſhip, they believed GOD had ap-
pointed, and would accept. | Bigots may call
this Confuſion, and Diſorder, and it may be ſo,
according to their poor worldly Notions of Re-
ligion, and the Kingdom of Chriſt. But the pre-
tended Order of humane Authority, aſſuming the
Place and Prerogatives of JeſusChriſt, and tram-
pling. on the Conſciences of his Subjects, is, as
Mr. R. Williams moſt juſtly calls it, monſtrous
i ates? 5 |

| Tho it be very certain, i that a publickWorſhip
| of GOD, is very neceſſary even to civilize Mankind,

who would be likely to looſe all Senſe of Religi-

on without it; yet it will not follow, that the ci-
vil Magiſtrate, as ſuch, bas Authority to appoint
the Rites of Worſhip, and conſtrain all his Sub-
| Jes to uſe them, much leſs to puniſh them for
uling any other. What has been fotever the
Conſequences, of his pretending to ſuch Authori-

ty, and uſing his Power to ſupport it? What
Glory doth it bring to GOD, and what Good
can it do to Men, to force them to attend a Wor-

ſhip they diſapprove ? It can only make them

Hypoccites, and GOD abhors ſuchWorſhi * .

An Hi forical Diſcourſe, Kc. 4

Notwithſtanding our Conſtitution left every
one to his own Liberty, and his Conſcience;and
notwithſtanding the Variety of Opinions that
were entertained, and notwithſtanding ſome i may
have contracted, too great an Indifference to a-
ny ſocial Worſhip, yet I am well aſſured, there
ſcarce ever was a Time, the hundred Years paſt,
in which there was not a weekly publick Wor-
ſhip of GOD, attended by Chriftians, on this
Iſland, and ia the other firſt Towns of the Colo-

ny.

It is no ways unlikely, ſome odd, and whimſi-
cal Opinions may have been broached, the Li-
berty enjoyed here, would tempt Perſons diſtreſ-
ſed for their Opinions in the neighbouring Go»
vernments, to retire to this Colony as an Aſylum.
It is no ways unlikely, that ſome Perſons of a
very different Genius, and Spirit from the firſt
Setlers, might intrude themſelves, and uſe this
Liberty as an Occaſion to the Fleſh ; but the firſt
Set of Men who came here, were a pious Gene-
ration, Men of Vertue and Godlineſs, notwith-
ſtanding their Tincture of Enthuſiaſm, which
was not peculiar to them; and notwithſtanding
their peculiar Opinions of Juſtification, and the
Nature, and Rights, of the Chriſtian Church.
They had not ſo many great and wiſeMen among
them, perhaps, as were in ſome of the other Co-

lonies; but their whole Nomber was very ſmall,
*% in

x8 As H forizal Diftewrſe; FRY

in Coniparifen Suk the other Colonies; 4 Ne ver-
theleſs they had ſome very conſiderabie Men,
and of ſuperiouc Merit. ls i is true like wiſe, ny,

Form of Government was too feeble, their ff
Parent left them without ſufficient Authority in
their civil Officers, to check any popular Hu-
moues; but yet, they did, and that as early as the
' » Maſſachuſants Colony, form aBody of goodLaws,
by which all Vice, and e 195 Immorality, was
Biſcouraged or puniſhed. And throughout the
whole Hiſtory of the and and Colony, there is

manifeſtly, an Aim and Endtavoyr,; to prevent

or ſuppreſs all Diſorders and Immoralities, and to
promote univerſal Peace, Vertue, Godlineſo, and
| Chacity . | |

I do not pretend to defend all the Opinions,

| that were entertained by any of them; much
leſs all the extravagant Notions, that were un-

juſtly aſcribed to ſome of them; nor yet to juſ-

| tify every Word, or Action, that might be the

Effect of heated Leal, or raiſed Indignation and
' Reſentment. That Man, who will go about to

| juſtify, or condemn a Party, in the Groſs, and
without Diſtinction, ſhall never be approved or

imitated by me, much leſs can it be expected,

I ſhould defend all the Opinions of ſo many dif-
: Ferent religious Parties, as were here united in
TCivil Peace. However, I dare ſay it after Mr.
„ art, that F* notwithſtanding the different

** Conſciences

Au Hiforioth Diſcourſe, Ste; $3

c Confcierices atid Undetftandings among them,
© they agreed to maititait civiFFaſtive and Fadg-
$ nent, neither were there ſfoch Obtrages com-
s mitted among them, as in other Parts of the
c Country were frequently ſeen. ” (Clark's Nar,
Introd.) And I bear them Witneſs, they had a
Zeal for GOD ; If is were not according toKnow-
ledge in every Article, yet they lay open to In»
ſtruction, deſirous to find out and diſcover the
whole Mind and Will of GOD; which cannot
ſo truly be ſaid of all Places, where yet Men are
not more infallible. If there were any of them,
who made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Con-
ſcience, perhaps it would be as eaſy,as it would be
invidious, to find Parallels enough in other
Places, to ſhew there are other dangerous Rocks,
beſides Liberty of Conſcience, It is an unac-
countable Humour, that has prevailed among
too many chriſtian Sets, to make Religion, and
the Goſpel conſiſt, in their own peculiar and diſ-
tioguiſhing Tenets, which would almoſt tempt
an impartial Man, to think it ought rather to
conſiſt, ia thoſe Things, wherein they are moſt
en agreed, and conclude in the Words of
the excellent Dr. Cotton Mather, The Period
*© haſtens for a new Reformation, wherein *tis
© likely none of our very beſt Parties, will be in
„all Things, the Standard of what ſhall prevail
©. in the World, but our holy Lord will form a

** new People, of thoſe good Men that ſhall u-
++ nite

54 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

nite in the Articles of their Goodneſs, - and
« ſweetly bear with one another in their leſſer
< Differences.” (Gd Men united, p 26, 7.

It muſt be a mean contracted Way of thinking,
to confine the Favour of GOD, and the Power
of Godlineſs, to one Set of ſpeculative Opinions,
or any particular external Forms of Worſhip.
How hard muſt it be, to imagine, all other Chriſ-
tians, but our ſelves, muſt be formal, and hypo-
critical, and deſtitute of the Grace of GOD, be-
cauſe their Education or Capacity differs from
ours, or that GOD has given them more or leſs
Light than to us, tho' we can't deny, they give
the proper Evidence, of their fearing GOD, by
their working Righteouſneſs; and ſhew theie
Love to him, by keeping what they underſtand,
he has commanded ; and tho? their Faith in Chriſt
Feſus, purifies their Hearts, and works by Love,
and overcomes the World. It would be hard to
ſhew, why Liberty of Conſcience, mutual For-
bearance, and Good Will, why brotherly Kind-
neſs and Charity, is not as good a Center of Uni-
ty, as a conſtrain'd Uniformity in external Ce-
remonies, or a forced Subſcription to ambiguous
Articles. Experience has dearly convinced the
World, that Unanimity in Judgment and Affec-
tion, can't be ſecured by penal Laws. Who can
tell, why the Unity of the Spirit in the Bonds of
Peace, is not enough for Chriſtians to aim at ?

And

An Hiſtorical - Diſcourſe," &e.. is

And who can aſſign a Reaſon; why they may
not love one another, tho'. abondding in their
own ſeveral Senſes? And why, if they live
in Peace, the GOD of Love and Peace, * not
be with them? id v bar 720 01

Indulgence to tender Confeivrices; might he a
Reproach to the Colony, an hundred Leais agon,
but a better Way of thinking prevails in the Pro-
teſtant Part of the chriſtian Chutchoat preſent.
It is now a Glory to the Colony, to have avowed
ſuch Sentiments ſo long ago, while Blindneſs in
this Article, happened in other Places, and to
have led the Way as an Example to others, and
to have firſt put the n into A | 240

Liberty of Conſeience, i is more folly eftabliſh-
ed and enjoyed now, in the other New-Engliſh
Colonies ; and our. Met ber- Kingdom, grants a le-
gal Toleratjon, to all peaceable and cooſcientious

Diſſenters from the parliamentary Eſtabliſhment. -

Greatec Light breakio ng i into the World, and the
Church, and eſpecially, all Parties by Turns, ex-
perjencing, and complaining aloud of the Hard-
lips of Conſtraint, they are come to allow as
reaſonable to all others, what they want and
challenge for themſelves. And there is no other
Bottom but this to reſt upon, to lea ve others the
Liberty we ſhould defire ourſelves, the Liberty

Wherewith Chriſt” bath made them free. This is
| doing

„ 44 Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, the.

2 gs we would. be done by, the grand Rule
.of Juſtice and Equity; this is leaving the Govern-
ment of the Churth to Jeſus Chriſt, the K ing and
Head quer all Things, and — his Sabi
to obey and ſerve him.

:
-

But to take Fhings in their Order, Mr. R. Wil-
liams is ſaid, in a ſe Years, after his ſetling at
Prauidence, to have emhraced the Opinions of
the People called: C by Way of Reproach) Ana-
baptifts, in Reſpect᷑ to the Subject, and Mode ef Bap-
tem and ta have formed a Church there, in that
Way, with ihe Help of one Mr. Ezekiel Holliman, *
and chat after a while he renouoced theſe Oeieie
ons likewiſe, and turned Steter, Ci. e.) to wait
for new Apoſtles, to reſtore Chriſtianity. He
believed the Chriſtian Religion, to have been
ſo corrupted 5nd diefiguted in what de called the
ol Apoſtacy, as that there: was no Miniſtry of an
ordinary Vocation lefe in the Church, N Tyan

12 ot; 77

— Since this. was ode BLUR for the Prefs, 1 fad ſome Reaſons

to ſuſpect, that Mr. N illams did \nettorm'a Church oſ the
4 t, and that he never join d with the Baptiſt Church
there Only, that he allowed them to be Maref (hs ' Scrip»
ture Rule, and tr ue 1 Practice, as to the Mode and
Subject of * ut that he himſelf wanted for new A-
poſties, Ec. The * 7 ancient Inhabitants now alive, ſome
"Wy of them above eighty Feat s old, who perſonally knew Mr.
IN Wliliams, and were well acquainted with many of the ort-
| 1 Setlers, never heard that Mr. Jilliams formed the
api iſt Church there, but always vhderftood that Mr Browne,
4 Mr. I iclenden or Wigititon.. "Mr. Dester, Mr. Olney, Me.
dl lng baft, Sc. were the ſu fl Founders of that Chnreh. |

pbecy,“ 4

As Hiſtorical, Diſcourſt, &c. 37

pbecy, and that there was need of a ſpecial
Commiſſion, to reſtore the Modes of poſitive
Worſhip, according to the original Inſtitution.
It don't appear to me, that he had any Doubt
of the true Mode, and proper Subjects of Bap-
tiſm, but, that noMan had any Authority, to revive
the Practice, of the ſacred Ordinances, without
a new and immediate Commiſſion. It is alfo
ſaid (Neale.) * That his Church hereupon
* crumbled to Peices, every one following his
te own Fancy, and the Worſhip of GOD came
© to be generally neglected.“ But 1 believe this
to be a Miſtake in Fact, for it certainly appears,
there was a | flouriſbiag Church of the Baptiſts there,
a few Years after the Time of the ſuppoſed
breaking to Pieces; and *tis known by the Names |
of the Members, as well as by Tradition, they 4x
were ſome of the firſt Setlers at Providence ;| how=
ever, *tis poſſible ſome of his Followers, might

embrace his new Opinions. Mr. Williams uſed to

uphold a publick Worſhip, ſometimes, tho” not

weekly,as many now alive remember,and he uſed |
to go once a Month, for many Years,to Mr. Smith's N
in the Narraganſet, for the ſame End.

There was no Reaſon, to lay aſide the Uſe of
the ſacred Inſtitutions of Feſus Chriſt, becauſe
they had been perverted, for ſurely the Diſciples

of Feſus Chriſt, muſt of Neceſſity have an inhe-
teat Right, to revive, or reQify, any of his Or- -
K dinances

38 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.
dinances that have been miſuſed. The Proteſ-

tants in general have done ſo, by both Sacraments,
which they have all of them reſcued from ſome
or other of the Corruptions of Popery, | And why

they may vot be as wel] reſcued from every Cor-
ruption, as from ſome, and why Chriſtians may

not revive the true Form of adminiftring Bap-
tiſm, as well as the Supper, is hard to tell, unleſs
we make a Charm of the Inſtitution. So Toog as

we have the New-Teſtament, wherein the origi-

nal Commiſſion and In traction are contained, we

can want no immediate Warrant, to obey the ge-
neral Laws of Chriſt, any more en a new Re-
velation, and new Miracles, to juſtify our belie-

ving the old Facts and Doctrines of the Goſpel,

The Bible contains the Religion of Chriſtians,

and the Word of GOD is a ſufficient Rule of

Faith and Worſhip. Had Mr. Williams adhered

to this Maxim, the Maxim of the Proteſtants, and

more eſpecially. of the Puritans, he might have

continued an Anabaptiſt all his Days, as *cis ſaid

he was more inclinable to them, in his latter

Time.

Biſhop. Sander/on ſays, (Veneer on the thirty nine

Articles, p. 655.) That“ the Rev. Arch- Biſhop

* W/hitgift, and the learned Hooker, Men of great
60 Judgment, and famous in their Times, did
« long ſince foreſee, and declare their Fear, that

« it ever Puritaniſin ſhould prevail among us, it
© would

* — ww

An Hiſtorical: Diſcourſe, | Us, 43

** would: ſoon draw in Anabaptiſin after it,
© This Cartwright and the Diſciplinarjans denied,
© and were offended at.---- But theſe goodMen
“ judged right, they conſidered only as prudent
„Men, that Anabaptiſm had it's Riſe, from the
© ſame Principles the Puritans held, . and it 's
*© Growth from the ſame Courle, they took; to-
ce gether with the natural Tendency, of their
” . Principles and practices toward it; ; eſpecially
* that oN PRINCIPLE, as it was ther by
ce them miſunderſtood, that the Scripture was as
© dequatsa agendorum regula, ſo as nothing mige |
*© be lawfully done, without expreſs Warrant,
either from ſome, Command, or Example t therein
& contained; which Clue, if followed as far as
* it would go, would certainly in Time carry
** them as far as the Anabaptiſts had then Sone.“

This I beg Leave: to look on as à moſt dne
Conceſſion, of the moſt able Adverſaries. - One
Party contend, that the Scripture is the adequate
Rule of Workhip, and for the neceſſity of ſome
Command or Example there ; the other Party,
ſay this leads to Anabaptiſm. It ſeems very re-
markable, that the Puritans, at leaſt ſome of the
Puritans, put the Baptiſm of Infants, and the ad-
miniſtring Baptiſm by Sprinkling, on a different
Foot from many of the other Party. It was one
grand Reaſon of the Plymouth People's Diſcon-
tent in Holland that the Dutch would not reform

K 2 the

68 An Hiſtorical Diſceurſe, &c.

the Cuſtom of baptiſing indiffereotly, the Chil-
dren of all Perſons that had been themſelves bap-
tiſed in Infancy. And it was once a great Com-
plaint, againſt New England, that the Children
only of viſible Church Members, were admitted
to Baptiſm. Nor did the general Way of bapti-

fing the Grand-Children of the Coyenant, or the
Infants of ſuch as do, what is called (owning the
Covenant) (a Pbraſe and Way peculiar Eee to
New England;) take Place, without a very great
and long Struggle: perhaps it don't yet univer-
ſally prevail. When the firſt Principles, & Practice
of New England are inquired into, and compared
together, and with thoſe that prevailed forty
Years after ; it will be found no great wonder, if
a Perſon (and there have been ſuchPerſons). who
heard the unanſwerable Argument, with which
ſome Pædo- haptiſts prove the Infants of thoſe who
are not Members of ſome viſible Church, are not
to be baptiſed ; and the like powerful Arguments,
with which others, prove that other Infants have
au equal Right and Claim with the Infants of
Church Members ; I ſay, it would be no won-
der, if ſuch a Perſon ſhould believe them both,
and conclude in the Words of the late excellent
Dr. C. Mather on a like Occaſion, “ that RE 6 s-
NERATION Ii the Thing, witb-ut which, a Title
unto Sacraments, is not to be pretended. That real
| Regeneration, j is that which beſore Gob, rendets
Men capable of claimjog Sacraments ; and viſi-

ble

An Hiſtorical Diſeourſs, &c. 81

ble or exprefled Regeneration, is that which be-

fore Men, enables them to make ſuch a Claim
(Comp. for Comm. p. 31.)

But to return, about the Year 1653 or54,there
was a Diviſion in the Baptiſt Church, at Providence,
about the Rite of laying on of Hands, which ſome
pleaded for as eſſentially neceſſary to Church-
Communion, and the others would leave indiffe-
rent, Hereupon they walked in two Churches,
one under Mr, C. Browne, Mr, Wickenden, &c.
the other under Mr. Thomas Olney ; * but laying
on of Hands at length generally obtained.

It is remarkable, that the Principles of 4 too
rigid Separation, planted by Mr. Williams, have

taken a deep Root, while ſome other of his dat-

ling Opinions are almoſt withered away. That
Church which was diſtioguiſh'd by holding /aying
on of Hands, neceſſary to all baptized Perſons,

came in Time, generally to hold univerſal Re-
demption.

This Church ſhot out into divers Branches, as
the Members increaſed, and the Diſtance of theic

Habitations made it inconvenient to attend the
publick Worfhip in the Town; ſeveral Meetings

. 5 $ . ' ;

by This lat continued "till about 20 Years fi ince, when be-

coming deſtitute of an Elder, the Members were united
with other Churches. At preſent there is ſome Proſpect of
their Re eſtabliſhment i in Church Order,

were

:
|

62 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe," &c.

were thereupon: fixed at different. Places, for their
Eaſe and Accommodation ; and about this Time

the large Townſhip of Providence became divided

into four Towns : their Chapels of Baſt, began to
be confidered as diſtiot Churches, tho' all are
yet in a Union of Councils and Interefts: And
there is a ſtrict Aſſociation, of all the Baptiſt
Churches in New England, that hold the Doctrine
of laying on of Hands, in that Senſe, maintained,
by yeatly Meetings of the Elders and Brethren,
at ſeveral Places, from time to time, where the
Aﬀairs of all the Churches are conſidered. |

The People whe came to Rbide- and, who
were Puritans of the higheſt Form, had defired

and depended on the Aſſiſtance of Mr. Meelwrigbt,

a famousCongregational Miniſter aforementioned,
But he choſe to go to Long-I/land, whete he
continued ſome Years. In the mean Time Mr.

«bn Clark, who was a Man of Letters, carried

on a publick Worſhip (as Mr. Brewſter did at
Plymouth) at the firſt coming, till they procured

Mr. Lenthal of Weymouth, who was admitted a
Freeman here Auguſt 6. 1640. And Auguſt 20,

Mr. Lentbal, was by Vote called to keep a publick
Se bool for the learning of Youth, and for his En-
couragement there was granted to him and his

- ey ww o-'

Heirs one hundred Acres of Land, and four more

for an Houſe- Lot ; it was alſo vo « that on

hundred Acres ſhould be laid forth, and appro-

«© priated

on YT” MP WW a WW we UF: Ts

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 63 ;

ce priated for a School, for encouragement of the
„ poorer Sort, to train op their Youth inLearn-

e ing, and Mr. Robert Lentbal while he continues
© to teach School, is to have the Benefit thereof.”
But cthisGentleman did not tarry here very long :

I find him gone to England the next Year but
one ; but there is noReaſon to think thatPerſons
of their Zeal, ſhould immediately fall into a to-
tal neglect of a ſocial Worſhip. One of their
firſt Cares both at Port/mouth and at Newport was

to build a Meeting Houſe, which 1 ſuppoſe was de-

ſigned for publick. Worſhip.

It is ſaid, that in 1644, Mr. Fobn Clark, and
ſome others, formed aChurch,on the Scheme and
Principles of the Baptiſts, It is certain that in
1648 there were fifteen Members in full Commu-
nion t. And it is this Church, of which we are
by divine Providence, the Succeſſors, tho“ with
ſome little Variation in the Points, which their
Adverſaries had objected to them, in the other
Colony. And thus all the Churches of | Chriſt in
Mew England have meliorated their Opinions, and
ways of ſpeaking of ſome Points, ſince that Age of
Diſpute, Contention and Temptation. However,
J have good Reaſon to think, the firſt Founders
—— CCC es
+ The Nimes of the Males were John Clark, Mark Lukar,

Nathanael Weſt, Wm. Vahan, Thomas Clark, Jeſeth Clark,

20 & bam, John 7 lorndon, William H "eden, and Samuel
ubbar
of

* a 5 | p | 6
1 . 8 * " 47 a - **
9 + - the 1 = a * »* l
& - - . ©
* , -
N f 7 1
k 4 .

64 As Hiftorical Digi, c.

of this Church would ha ve heartily joined in that
Explanation, which was accepted from Mr. Cot-
ton, by the Synod, and which is ſaid “ to make
an happy Concluſion of the whole Matter,” and
' 1 ſuppoſe every one of the preſent Members,
would readily ſubſcribe it, viz. ** That we are
&© not married to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, without
9 Faith, giving an actual Conſent of the Soul to
„ jt, That effectual Calling, and the Soul's ap-
© prehending by Faith, is in the order of Na-
© ture, before God's Act of Juſtification on the
ce Soul; and that in the Teſtimony of the Holy
“ Spitit, which is the Evidence of our good Eſtate N
* before God, the Qualifications of inherent
© Graces, and the Fruits thereof, proving the
* ſincerity of our Faith,muſt ever be co-exiſtent,
„ concurrent, and co-apparent, or elſe the con-
* ceived Teſtimony of the Spirit, is either a De-

“ Jufion or Doubtful? * ( Magnal. By P.11y.) |
| In this Church there were ſeveral Perſons, able

to ſpeak to the Edification of the reſt ; and I
have been informed by Tradition, that the great-
eſt Part of the Inhabitants, uſed to attend this

Worſhip, tho* the Members in Cburch Fellowſhip
were always but few.

(

{

In 1652 (during Mr, Clark's Abſence in Erg- h

land) ſome of the Brethreo, embraced the Opi- ;
nion of Laying on of Hands, as neceſſary to all

baptifed Perſons, and in the Year 1654 or 1656,
FED the

Au Fifortedl\Piſtoinſs, R.. 85

the Opinion it was neceſſary to church Commu-
nion and Fellow ſmip, together with thein Opinions
of the Doctrines 'of: Grace and Free · Will, occa-
ſioned ſome of them to ſeperate, and ſotm a Church

by thetnſelves, under the Leading of » Me, Vn

Vaban z this Church continues, to ,\this: Day,

and is numerous; at preſent under the: paſtoral
Care of Mef D. Wi men and 1, Eyres,

0 N. 59 4031 "13

In 1656 or PREY ſom of the- People called
Quakers, eame to this Colony and Mand; and be-

ing perſecuted and abuſed im then other Colonies,

that, together with the Opinions and Circumſtan-
ces "8f the People here, gave them a very large
Harveſt”; many, aud ſome of the Baptiſt Charch,
embraced theirDo&rines and particularOpindions;
to which many of their Faß, and e ſtill
adhere. | ene

About 1665, 6 a "Riba of the Members of |

the Church underMr.F. Clark,removed to'the new
Plantari6n'at alen ly mon g whom Mr. Jebncran-

dal was a Preacber aud Elder. They 9 .

did generally embiate the Seventb- Day Sabbat

and their Succeſſors ate now a very large and flows

riſbins Church, under the paſtora] Care of Meſſi.
* and G. ne and Mr. William Hi 94s

3 wy ane ny — — 5 BB „ „„ „%

Church, who had been i in the Obſervation of Je
'L Seventb=

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5% As Hiſdricdl Diſcourſe, Ec...

Seventh- Day Sabbath, for ſome Veate; tho't it
proper and neceſſary to draw off by themſelves ;
and they erected a Church, under the Leading
6f Mr. Villiam Hi/cox. Tis under the Roof of
their Succeſſors we are now aſſembled. Mr.

, Crandal, Elder of this eh died * rath

f Se 1797;

In 169 5, ' ſeveral Miniſters of the Maſſachoſatts-
Colony, came and preached: here to ſome who bad
deſited it. The next Year there was a Meetivg-
Houſe erected, in which the publick Worſhip of
GOD, was maintained by the Rev. Mr. Nathanael
Clap. In 1720, there was a Church in the congre-
gational Scheme gathered, and he was ordained
the Paſtor, and is fill alive, labouring in the
Word and Doctrine. In 178 there was ano-
ther Church, formed out of this; the preſent
fers the Rev. Mr. Tome Searing.

| About wy the Worſhip of GOD, 1

| 2 the Rites f the Church of E neland, was began
dio be ſet up here, by the Society for propagating the

Goſpel in foreign Parts. Mr. Lockyer was the
firſt Miſtonary, ſucceeded by the Rev. Mr,

. James Honyman,at preſent the moſt ancient Miſſis -
nary of the Charch of England in all America.

. * While our Church is ereQing a new and more convenient
Meeting Houſe, we arc kindly favoured with the Uſe of this,
belonging to the Sabbatarian urch 80

4 Hiſtorical: Diſcourſe,' Sc. 69

So that there are at this Time, ſcues woc ſbix-
ping . Aſſemblies, Churches or Societies, in bis
Town, beſides a large one of the People caled

Duakers, at Path, the other Part of the
Hand.

I am not able, to aſſiga the exact Date, when
every Church, or Meeting began, or everyMeet»
ing Houſe was built, in all the ſeveral-Towns of

the Colony. But there are now in the other

eleven Towns no leſs than twenty five diftint# So-
cieties or worſhipping Aſſemblies. of Chriſtians ;
beſides ſeveral Places where there are occaſional
Meetings, in ſome Part of the Year, or at certain
Seaſons, as is the Cuſtom in the other Colonies,
among the new or ſcattered Sertlements, |

There are in the nine Towns on the main Land
eight Churches of the People called Baptiſts, one
In every Town, except Greenwich, where there is
however a Meeting Houſe in which: there is a
Meetiog once a Month, *

Of the People called Puakers there are ſeven
Meeting Houſes on the main —_ and one at

* The Names of the Elders of theſe c i are, „
Mr. Z. indſor, & Tho. Burlingham ; at Smith „% Mr. "Foſeas
ole; at Scituate Mr. K Fuk ; at Glecefler r Ed. Mitchel ; at
Warwick Mr. Manaſſeb Martyn and Mr, Francis Bates; at

N. Kingſton Mr. R. Sweet and Mr. B. Herrington ; at fg. Une ſlon
Mr. Baue Everit. .

La Pames-

r TI" .

6 ÞAs Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.
Sven b. Day Sabbath, for ſome Years; tho't it
proper and neceſſary to draw off by thetnſelves ;
aud they erected a Church, under the Leading
6f Mr. Milliam Hiſcox. Tis under the Roof of
their Succeſſors we are now aſſembled. Mr.
. Crandal, Elder of this Church, died * rah
Spt. 2787. et 's.

In 1695, ſeveral Miniſters of the Maſſachuſetts-
Colony, cime and preached! here to ſome who had
dxſited it, The next Lear there was a Meeting-
Howſe erefed, in which the publick Worſhip of
GOD, was maintained by the Rev. Mr. Nathanael
Clap. In 1720 there was a Church in the congre-
gational Sc beme gathered,” and. he was .ordained
the Paſtor, and is ſtill alive, labouring in the
Word and Doctrine. In 1928 there was ano-
ther Church, formed out of this; the preſent
Paſtor | the * Mr. Joe Searing.

\ About ork, the Worſhip of GOD, cords

2 70 the Rites bf the Church of England, was began
a to be ſer up here, by the Society for propagating. the
Goſpel in foreign Parts. Mr, Lockyer was the
firſt Miſtonary, ſucceeded. by the Rev. Mr.

James Honyman,at preſent the moſt ancient Miffi-
nary of the Charch of England in all America.

. * While our Church is erecting 2 new and more convenfient
Meeting Houſe, we ate kindly favoured with the Uſe of this,

delonging to the Sabbatarian Church. 8
| 0

An Hiſtorical' Diſcourſe,' &c. 69

So that there are at this Time, ſeues wocſbip-
ping - Aſſemblies, Churches or Societies, in tbis
Town, beſides a large one of the People called

Luakers, at Poriſmouth, the other Part of the
Hand. Ds:

I am not able, to aſſiga the exact Date, when
every Church, or Meeting began, or everyMeet-
ing Houſe: was built, in all the ſeveral-Towns of

the Colony. But there. are now in the other

eleven Towns no leſs than twenty five, diftint# So-
cieties or worſhipping Aſſemblies. of Chriſtians ;
beſides ſeveral Places where there are occaſional
Meetings, in ſome Part of the Year; or at certain
Seaſons, as is the Cuſtom in the other Colonies,

among the new or ſcattered Sertlements,

There are in the nine Towns on the main Land
eight Churcbes of the People called Baptiſts, one
ia every Town, except Greenwich, where there is
however a Meeting Houſe in which there is a
Meetiog once a Month.“

Of the People called Qualers there are ſeven
Meeting Houſes on the main Land, and one at

S+&./ 1

* The Names of the Elders of theſe Ch are, at ds
Mr.'T.Windſor, & Tho. Burlingham ; at Smith % Mr. Foſtas
Cole; at Scituate Mr. S. Ful; at Glecefler r Ed. Mitchel ; at
Warwick Mr. Manaſſeb Martyn and Mr, Francis Bates; at

N. Kingſton Mr. R. Sweet and Mr. B. Herrington; 1

Mr. Daniel — verit.

L 2 —

2 3 «> *
n
=) _ OI

AY wo >

„

a ad

C7 NS *

68 An Hiſtorical” Diſcourſe, &c.

Fames-Town on Conanicut Mand; and a: "conflant
Meeting: at my tht no r Houſe 8
erected. O 8 *. 4 :

1 his: are "7 "ur epiſcopal 8 on the Main,
one at Providence, to which the Rev. Mr. Jobn
Checkley is appointed, and one at North. Xing ſton,
of which the Rev. James Mc Sparran, D. D.
is the preſent Rector; beſides one at Weſterly,
and one on the Edge of Warwick, adjoining to Eaſt-
Greenwich, which are occaſionally n by
the Miſſionaries at other Towns,

There are . three praibyterian or Congregational
Churches, at Providence, Scuth- Kingſton, & Weſterly ;
each of them ſupplied at preſent with a Paſtor,
viz. the Rev. Mr. Joſiab Cotton, at Providence; the
Rev. Mr, Foſepb Torrey, at Seuth- - Kingſton ; and
the Rev. Mr. Foſepb Park, at Weſfterly. And at
New- Shorebam or Block- Iland, there is a Meeting-

Houſe, which is at preſent — with a Prea-
cher,

Thus, notwithſtanding all the Liberty, and
Indu!gence here allowed, and notwithſtanding
the Inhabitants have been repreſented, as living
without 4 publiek Worſhip, and as ungeſpelixed
Plantations ; we ſee there is ſome Firm of Gedli-
neſs every where maintained. GOD grant the
Power may always accompany the Form, and
that all that Name the Name of Cbriſt may de-

| part

* + FI > +" ©, 0 08 a

As Hiſtorical Diſcourſes, &c. 69

part from Iniquity ; may Cbriſt Feſus walk in the
midſt of his golden Candleſticks, and hold the
Stars ia his tight Hand; and may he heal all
Diviſions among his Diſciples; may he unite the
Hearts of all that love Him, to love one another -;

may he grant them to be all like minded, and

may pure Religion, and undefiled, before GOD,
and the Father, thrive and flouriſh among us!

It remains now that I ſay a few Words rela-
ting to the State of the INDIANS, withia tlie

Bounds of this Colony, and the Circumſtances of

the Engliſh in Regard to them.

Ia genetal, all the Næw-Engliſb Colonies, were
at the firſt but one Intereſt, in Relation to the
Indians, and tho' the other four, called them-
ſelves the united Colonies, thete was a Commiſſion
feom this Colony to Mr. Williams and Mr. Clark,

to enter into a League offcoſive and defenſive
with them.

A few Years, three or four, before the Engliſh
came to Plymouth, the Indians had been dread-
fully waſted away by devouring Sickneſs, from
Narraganſett to Pen bſcut. So that the Living
ſufficed not to bury the Dead, and the Ground
was covered with their Bones in many Places.
This wonderfully made Room for the Engli/h at

Plymouth and Maſſichuſetts, and thoſe Colonies
protected the reſt,
In

n
23 +

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9 Az Hiftorical Diſcourſe, &c.

la the Year 1637, the Engliſb with united
Forces ſubdued.the Pequots, who had attacked
their Brethren in Conneficut ; the Narraganſctts,
who bordered on the Pequor's Land, conſented
and affiſted in their Deſtruction, thro a Deſire
of Revenge, which is remarkable in all the Sa»
vages, tho* their old Sachems defired to bave
preſerved Peace.

The Nantygganſiks, or Narraganſets, inhabited
the Lands, or governed over all the Indians within
the Bounds of this Colony. They were a nume:
rous, a rich, and powerful People: and though
they are by ſome ſaid, to have been leſs fierce,
and warlike than the Peguots, yet it appears they
had lately before the Engliſh came, not only in-
creaſed theic Numbers, by receiving many who
had fled to them, from the devouring Sickneſs,or
Plague in the other Parts of the Land; but they
had enlarged their Territories, and that both on
the Eaſtern & Weſtern Boundaries. They were
reckoned five Thouſand fighting Men. (MJ5. of Mr.
R. WW. in Evidence.) And Mr.Williams ſays,they
were ſo populous, that a Traveller would meet
with a dozen Indian Towns in twenty Miles.

In the midft of this mighty, and haughty Peo-
ple, the little handful of helpleſs Engliſh, ventur d
to fit down ; tho? not without taking all poſſible

Precautions ; on the one Hand, to give them no

juſt

An -Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Nc. 71

joſt Offence, and on the other Hand, to keep
themſelves in the beſt Poſture of Defence theit
Ciccumſtances would admit of. But the Conqueſt
and utter Deſtruction of the Pequors, had fer the

preſent eadeared Engliſh- Men to the Narragun-

ſets. And the Conduct and Valour they bad
ſhe wn, and the wonderful Succeſs of their Ex-

pedition, had made them. a Terrot to My "the
ladlan N ations round about. |

8: - + £ = an

Mr. Williams at . firſt © mals: S e
cable Neighbourhood, with all the Sachems and

Natives round about; in this Rbode- and was

included. And on the 9th of Fuly: 1640, Me.
Coddington, with the reſt of bis Aſſiſtants, had a
particular Treaty of Peace and Amity with =
antonomy and the reſt of the Sachems. : Neverthe -
leſs, the next Year, there was a ory
ing, and ſome Hoſtilities, occaliohed, I think,
ſome of the Indians, (if not Myantonomy blake by
kindling Fire in Mc. Eaſton's Lind, Lord's Day
April 4. 1641. whereby an Houſe of bis was burnt.
But whether it was deſignedly, or only through
careleſsneſs, don't plainly appear in the Records.
However it alarmed the People, and among other
Meaſures, they fitted out an armed Boar, to ply
round-the Mand, to keep off the Indians from
Landing; and it ſeems in ſome Scuffle on that
Account, two Engliſh Men were wounded, and one
Indian ſlain ; tho' the Orders to the Soldiers were
as

*
wt

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. N — — — © —— 8 I = mn 5 — 2
r rr

——̃̃ 2 2

— —e

_ — _——— — *
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Fe An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe," 8c.
as mild and prudent as could be mea bey

| likewiſe appointed Garriſon Houſes, to which the

People were to repair on an Alarm. Among

which I find one was Mr. Lentbal's the Miniſters

But the ee laſted not lentz before Peace
was reſtored. | . *

A 181
. 1n;1643 Myantonomy he great om of the
Narragan/ess, was taken Priſoner by Uncas Say

chem of the Mobeags, and ſome time after Slain,
and as ſome of the Engliſb ſay, after Quarter'and
Pcomiſe of Life given. This excited his Subjects
to revenge his Death, but the Terror of the
Engliſh. at the Meſſacbuſetts kept them quiet. And
ſo tis ſaid, that ſeven Years after, there were
ſome Commotions ſtilled, by the ſame Terror
menen es. * 2:31 bo "A

EF
I

a 633 when the Council of State confirmed.
heir Patent, the People were put on ſome En-
terpriſes againſt the Dutch at New-7, ork, or News,
Netherlands, and the next Year the Ward ſens
ſame, Men to the Aſſiſtance of theic Country
Men, ſettled at Lenk- Hand, which gave great
Offence to the Towns. on the Main, and in the
7200. Dutch Wars, in King Charles 29s Time, the
Colony & Nand wore put to conſiderable Expence
and Trouble, to put and keep themſelves in a
Pottuce of Defence. x „

* "5 as =
N -

: . oY
„ " 4 * *

* a. © # 3 ; * * -
o 8 po

- by)

Ia 1675 Philip, King of the Mampaneags, began
a War agaioſt Plymouth C-lony in June, which

ſoon ſpread, almoſt throughout all New- England.

Tradition ſays, f He was forced on by the Futy
of his young Men, ſore againſt his own Judgment

and Inclination,; and that tho' he foreſaw, and
foretold the Eng/:ſh, would in Time by their In-

duſtry, root out all the Indians, yet he was a-

gainſt making War with them, as what he tho'c

would only hurry on, and increaſe the Deſtruction
of his People :” and the Event proved he judged
right. The Powaws had foretold Philip, no Eng-
liſh Man ſh:uld ever kill bim, which accordingly
proved true ; he was ſhot dead by an Indian. *
M When

+ All the Hiftories from Mr. Hubbard and Dr Mather, make
Philip to be the Spring and Mover of the War; but there
is a conſtant Tradition among the Poſtericy of the People,
evho lived next to him, and were familiarly converſant with
him, as alſo with the Indians who ſurvived the War, that
both Philip, and his chtef old Men, were utterly averſe to
the War, and they ſhew the Spot (Kilemuit Spring, in a
Farm belonging to Stephen Paine. Eſq; in Briftol) where
Philip received the News, of the firft Eng/j/h Men that were
killed, with Grief and Sorrow, and wept at the News ; and
that a Day or two before the firſt Outrage he had pro-
tected an Eneliþ Man the Indians had cap ivated, refcued
him from them, and privately ſent him bome ſe. +

* I have heard from ſome old People, who vere tamiliarly ac-
quainted with the Indians, both before and after the War,
that the Powaws had likewiſe given out en ober ambienous
Oracle which did very much ſpirit on the Indians to War
at firſt, and afterwards as much diſcouraged them, viz.
that they promiſed the Indians would be ſucceſs/ul, if the Eno liſb

Fred the fg Gun, It is certain the Indians long —

Hf ”
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ä ator ate ig

14 4 Hiſtorical Diſeeurſe, &c.

When Philip could no longer refit the Impor-
tunity of his Warriours, he, like a wiſe Man,
took the moſt proper Meaſures, to make their
Enterprize effectual, eſpecially by an early En-
dea vvour, to perſwade the other Indian Nations

into the War, that with united Forces, they

might fall on the Engliſh every where at once;

and particularly he endeavoured to perſwade the

| Narraganſets, who had ſeveral Pretenſions to
quarrel with the Engliſh, and who were then re-

and deſignedly avoided firing on the Engliſb, and ſeem'd to
uſe all poſſible Means, to provoke the Englib to fire firft,
by rifling their Houſes, abuſing their Cattle, threatning and
Iifuting their Perſons &c. And the Hiſtories carry ir, that
an — — Man fired the firſt Gun, at Metapoiſet Garriſon,
ſome Days before any Engliſþ were flain. But thoſe ancient
People, ſince dead, told me, that by a Miſtake, occaſioned
thro' the Hurry and Trepidation, which uſually atrendy
the beginning of any confiderable Enterpriſe, an Indian fired
the firft Gun, (v het her on Pocaſſet Side where there was a
Skirmiſh at the beginning of the War, that is not mentioned
by Mr. Hubbard &c. I cannot now ſay) and that the News
of this, when known among the Indians, was a fatal Wound to
their Courage, they ſaying the Englſh Man's GOD would now
ſubdue them, which contributed not a little to their after De-
ſtruction. This I always looked on, as a very remarkable
Paſſage, but the Authors before mentioned, and Col. Cx urch,
who had by far, the beſt Means to be informed, in all Cir-
cumſtances, relating to the Beginning and Progreis of the
War, in this Part of the Country, being wholly ſilept about
it; and the few ancient People who are now alive, that were
Actors in the War, not retaining any perfect Tradition of
the Matter, the Reader may entertain the Story as he pleaſes;
J dare not warrant the Truth of it, bit only that I certainly
heard wy Story from ſome ancient People of Swanzey, ſince
deccale | |

puted

SO” --- =:

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. ns
puted four Thou/and + fighting Men. But whe-

ther the War began too ſoon for them, or the

firſt Beginnings diſcouraged them, or that they
did not intend to make War at all; they renew-
ed their League of Peace and War with the uni-

+ Mr. Hubbard ſays, Page 13. The Narbaganſets promiſed
* to riſe with four Thouſand in the Spring ot the Tear 1676."
and in a Poſtſcript ſays, Concerning the Narhaganſets,
te this is further to be added here, that Mr. Thomas Kanton

* and his Son Robert, who have a long Time lived amongſt

« them,andare beſt acquainted with n Man-
1 ners of any in New-Zngland, do affic m, that to their Know-
4 ledge, the Narbaganſet Sachems, before the late Troables,
« had tπ].] Thouſand fighting Men under them, and nine Hun-
« dred Arms. Theſe Accounts are perhaps both true, for
the firſt, might mean to contain, all the Indians in the Bounds
of this Colony, who being under the Authority of the great
Narhaganſet Sachem, were often called by this generalName ;
and were perhaps four Thouſand figming Men. Mr. Stanton
might mean, only thoſe properly or preciſely called Narra-
ganſet Indians, in Diſtinction from the Indians at Providence
and the Indians at Warwick, who joined in the War under
Pombam, &c. and from the Nybantic Indians, under Ninigret
who did not join in the War; tho' theſe were always, and
to this Day, are frequently included in the general Name of
Narhaganſet Indians. What ſeems to confirm this js what
Mr. Hubbard adds, viz. © Yet are they ſo broken and ſcat-
« tered at this Day, that there is none of them left on this
« Side the Country, unleſs ſome few, not exceeding ſeventy in

% Number, that have ſheltered themſelves under the Inha-

« hitants of Rhode IM and, as a Merchant of that Place, wor-
tc thy of Credit, lately affirmed to the Writer hereof.” Thoſe
ſheltered at the Ifland were either Priſoners of War, or
ſuch as had voluntarily ſurrendred themſelves to the Engliſb
for Protection, on Promiſe of Lite. But tis well known,
that Ninigret's Men alone, vaſtly exceeded that Number;
beſides there were divers Priſoners at- Providence. And that
Side of the Country, was much fuller of Indians, in the
Memory of very many now alive.

M 2 N ied

. . —
. TOC

-=# 2
— —
= — — — . — —
F ——_—_— CO” re fe ———³ 0
.

76 An „ Eiferical Diſcourſe, &c.

ted Cl nies, in 7uly, a Month after Philip had
began Holtilities at Swanzey.

| However when he was driven out of hisCoun-
try, they were charged to have received, and en-
tertained his People. Whereupon the uzited Calo-
nies ſent, an Army of a thouſand Menu, under Fo.

Vinſleu, Eſq; He arrived with the Maſſachuſetts

and Plymouth Forces, the 12th of December, at

Major Smith's in North- Kingſtcy ; on the 18th
the Connecticut Men being arrived, the Army

marched the next Day near 18 Miles to a Sort of
a Fort, ( 19th of Hubb. ) which the Indians had
raiſed on an Iſland of Upland, in the midſt of a
moit hideous Swamp. Their Indian Guide lead

them to the only Place where it could be attack-
ed, the Engliſb fell on with too much Courage
and Eagerneſs, which proved fatal to ſome of their

valiant Captains. However their Victory was
compleat; the Fort was taken, and *tis ſaid ſeven

Hundred fighting Men, and twenty chief Captains of

the Enemy were ſlain that Day, beſides Women
andChildren, and three Hundred more died of their
Wounds afterwards, beſides the vaſt Numbers

who peciſhed thro' Cold and Hunger. The Loſs

to the Engliſb was of about eighty Men; fix Cap-
tains ſlain, and one Hundred and Fiſty Men Woun-

ded, many of them by their own Friends. To—

wards Night, they ſet Fire tothe Fort, and re-

tleated

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 757

treated to their Head Quatters, thro* the Cold
and Snow. Some tho't, if they had kept Poſ-
ſeſſion of the Fort, where was the Indian Provi-
ſions, they might have ſaved many of their own
wounded Men, and that the Indians muſt all
have periſhed, thro* Cold and Hunger, or ſur-
rendted at Diſcretion the next Morning. Others
tho't it a merciful Providence, they retreated ſo
ſoon, notwithſtanding the Fatigue of ſuch a Re-
treat, But however that be, which can't ſo well
be judged of now, + the wounded and ſtarving

+ Mr. Hubbard repreſents the burning the Fort as neceſſary to
diſlodge the Indians, and after that the Retreat muſt be alſo
neceſſary. However he men ions their Want of Proviſions,
by Means of their Veſſel's being frozen in at Cape Cod. He
ſays there was a great Q 1antiry of Proviſions burned in the
four or five Hundred Wigwams in the Fort, And he feveral
Times laments the Miſery of the wounded Men, in marching

, near eighteen Miles thro' the Cold and Sao that Night,

efore their Wounds could be dreſſed. Bur Col. Church,
who was preſent and wounded in the Action, tells us, he ve -
hemently oppoſed the firing the Fort. That the General
was ſurprized into it, and he condemns it as a very impru-
dent and unfortunate Conduct. He ſays, The Fort was
tal of Corn and other P:ovifions, ſi fficient to ſapport the
whole Army till th: Spring, and there was no other Pro vi-
ſions to be depended on; there was good warm Lodging for
the wounded Men, not elſewhere to be had.” He ſuppoſes
every oue acquainted with the Circumſtances of that Night's
March, deeply laments the Miſery of the whole Army, et-
pectally of the wounded and dying Men. He adds, That
it mercifuily came to paſs, that Capt. Andree Belcher arrived
that very Night at Mr. Smith's from Beſton; loaden with
Proviſions ſor the Army, who muſt offerwiſe have prrifbed for
Want. ( Church p. 16, 17.) Tradition is on the lame Side,
and ſuppoſes had the Army kept Poſſoſſion of the Fort, it
muſt have in a Manner finiſhed the War,

Indians,

70 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

Indians, in their Retreat, returned, put out their
Fires, and ſheltred themſelves, and found ſome
Refreſhment among the Aſhes of the beſt and
ſtrongeſt Fortification the Indians were ever Maſ-
ters of in this Country. This was the greateſt
Action ever performed by the New-Engliſh Colo-
gies, againſt the Indians; if we regard either the
Numbers of Men on each fide, or the Conſequences
of the Action. Beſide that the Indians had now
theUſe of Guns,as well as they ; and were as ex-
pert in the Uſe of them, as any Men in the World.
The Indians were ſoon purſued with Famine and
Sickneſs, ſo that after they ſubmitted the next
Year, they were never formidable again. Theſe
Narraganſets, do now in a Manner ceaſe to be a
People, the few, if any, remaining in the Colony,
being either ſcattered about where the Engliſh
will employ them, or ſheltred under theSuccefſors
of Ninegret, a Sachem that refuſed to join in the
War, and ſo has preſerved his Lands to his Poſ-
terity ; and there are a few Indians now living

round him, on his Lands, or belonging to his
Tribe.

As to the Part this Colony had in that War,

it muſt be obſerved, that tho the Colony was not
as they ought to A been conſulted, yet they
not only afforded Shelter and Protection to the
| fly ing Engliſh, who deſerted in many of the
1 neighbouring Plantations, in Plymouth Colony,
| and

* *

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Wc. 59

and were received kindly by the Inhabitants, and
relieved, and allowed to plant the ac Tear” oh
their Commons, for their Support; but they
likewiſe furniſhed ſome of the Forces with Provi -
ſions and Tranſports: and ſome of their principal
Gentlemen, as Major Sanford, and Capt. Goul-
ding, were in the Action at Mount Hope, as Vo-
luntiers in Capt. Church's Company, when King
Philip was ſlaia. + The Indians never landed on
the //and, in the War Time, armed Boats being
kept plying round, to break their Canoes, and
prevent their making any Attempts. But our
Settlements on the Main ſuffered very much, both
at Petequamſcut, and at Warwick, and at Provi-

dence ; where the Indians burnt all the ungarriſon d
and deſerted Houſes. And theInhabitants made
heavy Complaints, that when the Army of the

united Colonies returned home, they did not leave

a ſufficient Number of Forces to protect our
Plantations, which were now, in a very peculiar

+ In the Ciony's Anſwer to the King's Letter 1679, enquiring
the Value of Mount Hope Neck, which was begged of the
King, by Jobny Growne the Poet, they ſay, that a Rhode-
* 1and Indian, under a Rhode Iſland Captain, a Voluntier, with
a Plymouth Captain, killed King Ptitip* His Name was
Alderman,and Col Church ſays he deſerted the Year before,
from Aw:ſhonks Squaw Sachem of Pocaſſet, and came over to
Rhode · [land with bis Family, and gave good Intelligence to
the Engl/b at that Time, which was ill improved or ne-

glected. ö

Manner,

Y "I
9
9

8d An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

Manner, expoſed to anexaſperated and deſperate
Enemy, * Hg

I knowthis was attempted to be excuſed, by the Agents of a
neighbouring Colony, before the King; and they had the
Face to aſſert, that * the Colony | would never yeild any
joint Aſſiſtance againſt the common Enemy, no not ſo much
© as in their own Towns, on the Main, nor garriſon their
© own Towns of Providence and Harwick, and; ſo that the
. © Blame ought to lie on this Government, if they ſuffered
. © Spoyle, while the Army was purſuing the routed Enemy,”
But the printed Hiſtories contute this Anſwer in Part, the
Providence Company under Capt Andrew Edmonds, was very
helpful, and ſucceſsful tco againſt the common Enemy, and
that even out of our own Bounds. (See Hubbard's Narrative
of the Troubles with the Indians, p. 28.) ( Sce alſo Col.
; Church's Hiſtory. ) J could give {ſeveral Reaſons, why the
Colony did not act more jcinily, and why it ought not to be
cCharged to their Fault, that they did not. But perhaps
tcwould be no Service to any Body now to mention them.
Ho ever I muſt ſay; it was not ou ing only to thè religious
Principles of the Gentlemen then at the Head ot our Admi-
niſtration. Tis true the Governeur and the Depuiy Governour
that Year, were both of the People called Qualers, but
there are military Commiſſions ſtill in Being under their
Hands and Seals, to Mr. B. Arnold, jun. and others to go in |
an armed Sloop to viſit the Garriſons at Providence, & . It
Ves but reaſonable the united Colonies, ſhould have left a
ſyfficient Guard, at leaſt, at their own Head Quarters, and
ſome other Places, while the Iand, the only Part of the Co-
lony able to contribute to the Charge of the Wars, was at |
ſo great an Expence, in ſupporting and defending the diſ-
treſſed Engliſh, who fled to them from all the adjacentParts,
On account of theſe and ſome other like Aſpei ſions, the 7
foremenizoned Deputy Governour, in order that J hings might
not be otherwiſe reſented againſt us than they were, gave an
Affidavit or Evidence on ſolemnEngagement, that he never
* was againſt giving forth any Commiſſions to any, that
might have been for the Security of the King's Intereſt in
f this Colony.“ This with ſome Commiſſions actually ſigned by
4 bim, id among a large Number of ancient Manuſcripts in the 5
Poſſe ſſion of the honourable M illiam Coddington, Elq;

= A

An Hoca Ota he = 34

As King*Pbilip had no fortified Plates, and no
Magazinits, when the foreiga guccour aud :Aflib<
tance, which he depens ed upon, failed him, vhen
the Narraganſits were in his own Condition; and
the Mobawks refuſed to aff him, his People loſt
all Hope, and Courage, ' and 'ConguAty: ibeiog.
beaten off from their Planting and Fiſhing,
and purſued by Famine and Sickneſs, and divers
Parties of the Engliſh; who had their Courage
raiſed in Proportion, as the other Side were diſ-
couraged, they were forced to ſutrendet᷑ almoſt
at Diſcretion, and beg Peace on any Terms.
Philip himſelf! being ſlein, and moſt of the chief
Captains, the War wholly ceaſed, in this Part of
the Country; and with thoſe Nations wh fiſt
began the War. ILY „emo ac

Ever ſince that Peace, this Colony has had little
or nothing to do with the other Indian” Wars,
but only to aſſiſt the other C lonies, when properly -
conſulted and applied to The Colony bore: it A,
Part chearfully in the ſeveralExpeditions agaiaſt
the French at Port- Ra, and Canada. And di-
vine Providence remarkably. ſucceeded and [muled 6 on
the Defence and Protection of our Sea- Coaſts, which
were very much expoſed. all the rw» long French
8 1 e bene

The neceſſury Deen of the Tchabirants, was.
never neglected i ia the Time of War, and fioce

N the

_ 4 _
* 2
* ; 3, 2
— —ñ—ñ— — — ä—ꝗZä— r 2 — — — 2
”

12 An 22 Diſcourſe; Kc...

the Peace; the Colony, tho" ſo ſmall as it js, hath
rebuilt an handfome;Fort-an an 1oand that com-
mands the Harbour of Newport, and 1133, fur-

niſhed.it with a Number of fine Guns, at their
own Expebce. Beſides, the Colony always keeps
a certain Number of ſmaller Carriage Guns and
ſmall: Arms, with all Neceſſaries and Appurtenances

in good Order, ready to put on Board one or

more Veſſels, as Occaſion may require, on the
very firſt Notice of any Enemy on the Coaſts.

And tho' a large Proportion of the Inhabitants,

are not free in their Conſciences to learn War,
yet the Military Exerciſes, are kept up as in o-
ther Places, and the Succeſs, which formerly
attended the Enterpriſes: of our Forces, will, while
the Memory thereof remains, keep up a military

Spirit, in the Body of the People.

The Narrhganſets, as T obſerved, were the moſt
populous Nation among the Indians, but all At-
N tempts toCivilize or Chriſtianize them were utter-
ly ineffe val, TheirSachems would not ſuffer the
Goſſ pel to be preached to their Subjects, and their
Subjects obſtinateſy adhered to the Traditions and
Coſtoms of their Fore- Fathers. It ſeems hard

that New England ſhould be complain'd of and

reproached as particularly negligent of the Con-
verſion of the Indians, and harder ſtill we ſhould
be reproached Ver neglecting the Methods uſed by
the French to make Proſelytes of their Indians,

and

(
{

As "Hiftorieal" Diſcourſe," &c. $3
and moſt unhappy that ſuch Complaintb, ae ate
by Writers that ſeem ot berwiſe well ali mtb
Plamation Iffuirs, and are deſervedly of pttatNote
andChatacter. It is happy however theſe Riproa-
ches are not well grounded. NEW ENGL 4 80,0 ay

the Maſſachuſetts and Plymouth Colonies alons, have
had more Rear Success, in #heConverſien of def

dias, not only than all the larger Engliſh Colonies, to

theSoutbward ; but tbas aL The or Crnzsrian
Nations "bar bave fanled” throughout the whole
Continent of America. The Societies of New Eng-
England, could never be contented with loch 2
of Convetts as the Roma Catholick Miſſionaries
boaſted' of in many Places ; they had nb Satis-
faction in the Religion of the nominal ch,
in Europe, and tho't it would” be no Advantage,

to make foch Chriſtians among the Indians, as
knew no more of the Goſpel, than to make the
Sign of the Croſs, or who deficed Baptiſm . only,
for the ſake of the new. Shin, with which their

Converſion way to be rewarded, And there was

very great Of ofition, to the makiog them real
Chriſtians. 2 Sachen! 6 r Princes generally,
their Powaws or Prieſts always, oppoſed alt their
Power and all thejr Arts to prevent the 'Growth

of the Goſpel, as what they imagined would put
an End to their Authority, eſpecially that of theie

Priefts ; and the Cuſtoms of the People, theic
way of Life, and their national Vices, made it a

moſt difficult Task to 7 ſuch People, as .

2 muſt

— 8 d
—_— 96ͤ 12 Ai ̃ęꝗ⁊ůͤu. ooo cds Sau teat 2 4 A < o _
”

f 4% Hiforicali Diſc} Ser

2 muſt be, firſt civilized or bumanized; The News
\ Bngliſh wonder to hear themſelves reproached for

nat intermarrying with ſuch; Barbarians, of a Com-

plecct ion ſo different j they never had the Temp-
tationg to the unnaturel Mixture, as ſome foreign
Plantations had, not do they know oed Enghſp
ey aſa; todo ſo.. | TEST? ft

As 5 to this Cilony in particular; at firſt "the Nar-
rake ts made it a . publick. Intereſt, to. oppoſe the
Propagation of the Chriſtian Religion... And tho!

* - — 4

r. Williams made ſome laudable Attempts, to

80,

inſtrock them, y et he was much diſcoursged, not
only, by want of a lawfyl 1 Warrang, or an imme:
diate Commiſſion to he an Apoſtle to them, but
eſpecially by, (as. he tho't) the inſup erable. Diff.

141 "4 Pe 2

culiy of preaching Chriſtianity: to them, in tbeir 01

Ait

Lei guage wub any Propriety, wit bout Inſpiration.
After the War, they were ſoon reduced 10 the

| Condition of the labquripgPoor, withoutProperty,

Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water ; 3 Wy

thece is no mote Resſon to expe Religion, ſhou?
by ham 11 i.

human Meang, t thrive among foe Prop e than

among the ddd and abandoned Poor i in. 10 en.

4 ha ve bad Þveral Offers of the Goſ-

1146 11806 od 1
105 t he W had RTE bk 3, and at pre-

14 ne

4644s 4

77005

” ER v WW ._

-& To. ahi

— TW 2 coU wy

A Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Kc. 8

Obriſtian Knowledge, by means of an Eſtate, Mot-
tified to them fot this End; by ihe late Dr. Dns /
Williams of London. However, it muſt be own»
ed we have been too ſoon diſcoutaged, and too
negligent i in this Affair. Pethaps it is one of the
worſt Effects of che variety of religious Opinions,

among the Engliſb, that it bas been ſome hindi ans

to this good Work, and even furniſhed the Indians
ſome times, with an Excuſe or Pcetence,to,wave
any Offers to inſtiuct them. If che Mannes of
any, have likewiſe prejudiced any Indians, it is
moſt lameptable!. The Vices of Chriſtians: hu ve
been an inſurmountable Obſtacle to the progreſs
of Chriſtianity, in all the other Faris of the World,
as there are too many Evidences. May theſe
Reflections, however, ſtit us up to adorn out
holy Rellgibd, and to be careful that wel give
none Offence' to any, that are without: And
may M.diſpoſe all Perſons to contribute all in
theif Bower, to farther the Converſion of theſe

People to che Chtiſtian Religion. They demand

dur Compaſſion, and our Prayers to the Throne
of Grace, that God would remòve the Vail from
theic Eyes; and all Prejuflices ftom their Hearts;
that he would convert and . them.

Mr. R. Bilan at fi ſt, gave. a promiſing
CharaQer, of the Morals 1 theſe People; but
on longer Acquaintance, and more Experience,

he ſeems to have altered his Opinion of them;
| as

*
{1

W 2 | As Hiſtrical Diſcorſe; &e.

2s #pPyedts by ſome Expreſſions in a Mamſ/cvipe
of his yet remaining. The Diſtiaction of

« qtunen, and ſober honeſt Sachtens, is (ſays
< he) both lamentable, and ridiculous; lamen-
© table, that all Pagans are given to Drunken
a nels; and ridiculous, that thoſe (of whom he
6c was ſpeaking) are excepted. It is (ſays he)
& notoriouſly known, what Conſciences all Pa-
te ant make of Lying, Stealing, Whoring, Murs

& te deing. 1 &ec. 25th 6th m. 1658.

After this Account of their Ah 1 mould
think it hardly worth while to inquire, what was
theic Faith and #or/bip. that bad ſo little Effect
on their Converſation ; if we had not juſt heard
hat a ſcandal to Chriſtianity, the Lives of too
many Chriſtians are. However tbe, Faith of this
People and their. idolatrous. Worſbip, was much like
the other Indian Nations. They believed in one
Great and Good God, who lived ſomewhere at
a great Diſtance in the South Weſt, and that the
Spirits of Good Men do after Death reſide with
Him. Bot, the Government of the World, they
ſeem'd to think, left in the Hands of anEvilGod, |
the Devil, to bom; with many inferior & fob
ordinate Deities, they paid their chief Worſhip,

at their Nicemmors, or deviliſh Feaſts, as Mr. Wil-
liams calls them,

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. $9

The Iodians in this Part of America, appear to
have been ſome of the leaſt improved, of | the
humane Species, without any Learning, or Know-
ledge. in any of the politer Arts of Life, aven
without Iren and the Improvements which depend
on that. The ſtrange Deſtruction of this People,
now fiace the Wars ceaſed, and within Memory,
is very remarkable, Their inſuperable Averfion
to the Eogliſh Induſtry, and Way of Liſe, the
Alteration from the Indian Method of living,
their Lazine/3, and their univerſal Love of . Strong
Drink, have ſwept them away, in a wanderſul
Manner. So that there are now above twenty
Engliſh to one Indian in the Colony. Theie few

miſerable Remainders are left, as Monuments of

the Anger of a righteous God, and for our
Warning & Inſtrutioo. While the Contentions,
and mutual Animoſities of the Indians in gene-
ral, and their curſed Thirſt of Reveoge, made
them 2 Prey to the Weak, and ſmall Number
of Engliſh, we ſhould l not to bite & devaur

one another, leſt we be devoured one of another,
or of the Judgments of God. While we have

ſeen their Iniquities prove their Ruin, we ſhould

learn to break off from our Sins byRighteouſneſs,
and eſpecially abſtain from, and watch againſt
the Sins, which have been ſo evidently both, the
procuring Cauſes, and the Means, of- their , "4
ſtruct ion. When God was conducting the Hrae -
lites to the Land of Canaan, and driving out the

Inhabitants

. _
- -
3 . ĩ— é———— OO — „

: ag .

oy An" Hiſtorical Diſcourſs," 8.

Iihabitahts, to make room for them, | he was
| Pleaſed to warn and require them, not to defile

themſelves with the Abominations of thoſe Nas
tions, leſt as the Land then ſpued out its Inha-
birafits, ſo it ſhould ſpue out them like wiſe, wheti

they in like manner defiled it. Tho? it wou'd be

ridiculous to compare our ſelves, to the [/raelites,
and the Indians to the Canaanites,in many Inſtan-
ces, yet in this Reſpect, it may be proper to ar-
gue, that if we Indianize in our Manners and Vi-

ces, they will in Time draw down the! like, or as

heavy Judgments. of God, upon us, as thoſe
with which he hath deſtroyed our Predeceflors.
God grant that the People, who have been over-
thrown in the Wilderneſs may be Enſamples to us,
to prevent our Juſtingafrer any Evils, leſt we

be deſtroyed likewiſe of the Deſtroyer ! -=--

And this brings me now at aſt, to the RE-
MARK Ss I promiſed at the Beginning. And

I. The firſt is, The wonderful and unſearchable

Providence of GOD, in the whole Affair, of driving |

out the Natives, and planting Colonies of Eurepeans,,
and Churches of Chriſtians, in the Place of Heat be-
iſm and Barbarity.

I pretend not to have known the Mind of the
L OK D, or to have been his Counſeller, or to be
able to comprehend, the Ways of divine Provi-

dence. u Judgments ate a great Deep;
but

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſt, &c. 99

but we muſt be wilfolly blind, if we cannot ſee,
that the Hand of the Lord bath wrought this.

The Diſcovery, and theConqueſt of Auxkica,
with the amazing Deſolations wrought therein,
appear a more remarkable Event, than any other
iz. all prophane Hiſtory, ſince the univerſal De-
luge. A new World, as it was juſtly called, diſ-
covered to the 4 or rather to Europe, and
all its Riches and Glory overturned, and given

away to an other People; and the Aboriginal

Natives, by Famine, Sword and Peſtilence, de-
ſtroyed, and waſted away by Millions throughout
all America ! Who can tell how, or how long
it had been inhabited ; and by what a Series of
Iniquity, it was ripe for ſuch a fearful Deſolation,
ſuch an utter Deſtruction! If we believe a Pro-
vidence (and 'tis impoſſible we can believe none)
we muſt needs think it concerned, in the Preſer-

vation, and the Puniſhment of Kingdoms, and

Nations; and that theſe Parts of the World, tho
ſeperated, hid, and unknown to the reſt, are yet

fore we ſhould takeNotice of the wonderful Provi-
dence of GOD, ia this great Affair. How ſhould we
learn to ſubmit our little perſonal Affairs, to the
divineProvidence,when weſee thatNations,before
Him, are but as the ſmall Duſt of the Ballance ?

And how juſtly may we ſay, Great and marvellous

Ws © ; ars

as near the Omnipreſence of GOD, and as much
under his Government, as any other. And there-

Ae adit”
7 —_— 22 * * . 2

9 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

are tbyWerks,O LordGOD Almighty ; true & faithful
are thy Ways, and righteous are thy Fudgments,thow
Ving of Saints; who ſhall not fear thee, and glorify
y Name, for thou only art holy: Let all Nations
come and worſbip before thee, for thy Fudgments are
made manifeſt. The moſt High ruleth in the Kingdoms

of Men, and giveth them to wbomſoever be pleajith.

Again, tte Settlement of Ne England in parti-
_ calar, was evidently providential,in many Reſpects.
I have mentioned often the prevailing Mo-
tive with the People, who came firſt to plant
and inhabit in—this Wilderneſs; but the
Difficulties and Diſcouragements in their Way,
were really many and very great ; ſo that. who-
ever reflects the leaſt upon them, ©** muſt wonder
© ſo many were carried out from a flouriſhing
“State, to a Wilderneſs ſo far diſtant ; for (as
© One of them, Mr. Shepherd of Cambridge; his
Life in the Magnalia ; ſays Y “ they were not all
© of them raſh and weak ſpirited Perſons, incon-
«© fiderate of what they left behind, and were
© going to. It was not Gain, or Riches they
© aimed at. When we look back (ſays he) and
* conſider, what a ſtrange Poiſe of Spirit, God
& had laid on many of our Hearts, we cannot but
wonder at our ſelves, that ſo many, and ſome
e fo weak and tender, with ſuch Chearfulneſs,
60 and conſtant Reſolution, againſt ſo many Per-

2 — - — cw meu for > oe. — aw, vi) wo - n 4

«
_— —— Cc . ĩ⅛ - *

—

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &. .

ce the ill Reporis of the Country, and the Straits
c and Wants, and Trials of God's People in it,
< yet ſhould leave our Accommodations Com-

* forts, forſake our deareſt Relations, overlook.

and all this to go into a Wilderneſs, where we

ie Ons, only in hopes to enjoy CurrsmT in his
00 ' Ordloances, and the Fellowſhip of his People

->Mbreover, as theſe People came not here, for
Plunder, which drew over the Spaniards to the
Southward, neither did they ſettle themſelves by
Force or hy their own Might; but GOD was
pleaſed to make ready a Place prepared as an
Aſylum for them: And fince he has wonderfully
driven out and conſumed the Natives by his de-
vouring Judgments, their Sins have proved their

Puniſhment; and their deteſtable Vices, have

drawn on thoſe mortal Sickneſſes, which have
waſted away all within the EogliſhPale,but a few

embraced Chriſtianity, or who by ſubmitting to

the - Engliſh Power, remains the Memorials of
theſe wonderful Events. It is true, the Indian
Jealouſy. and Revenge prevented a Union among
their ſeveral Clans at firſt, and made them in-
ſtrumental in the Deſtruction of one another, and
the Engliſh had great Advantages in their Arms 3

but: ſtill the Iadians vaſtly out-numbred them;

were more able to endure Fatigue, & Hardſhips,

Hunger, & Travel; and were petfectly acquaint-
O 2 ed

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92 An Hiſtorical Diſceurſe; &c. -

ed with theis own Country. However a remar-
kable Interpoſition of Providence, was viſible in ſome
of the earlieſt, and other the moſt important En-
terpriſes againſt them; and it would be unjuſt
Not to give to GOD the Glory due to his Name:
The LoD is King for ever, and the Heathen
are periſhed out of the Land! As therefore
GOD hath plaated this People,and not their own
Skill, or Power, ſo neither let them imagine it
was Ho their Merits and Deſerts : We know not
the ſecret and future Deſigns of Providence.
Only let us remember, that He who chaſtiſeth
the Heathen, will alſo corre& thoſe, who are
called by bis Name, if they turn to Polly.

Again, tis remarkable how divine Providence
was pleaſed to ſupply their Wants in a Wilder-
neſs, among a People that never took care for the
Morrow; and to ſupport them/under the Diſtteſſes
they were tried with. At Plymouth and Boſton,
many died at firſt, for want of Neceſſaries and
Conveniencies, but afterwards, it was many

Years, before any Sickneſs prevailed amongſt the

Planters, And tho' they have often. fiace been
viſited with ſore Calamities, and waſting Sick-
neſſes, yet their Numbers have continually
increaſed to a very great Degree; while the Ne-

tives have been waſted away, by the ſame Diſeaſes,

and ſome other infectious Diſtempers, from
which the £Englifb have been ptovidentiaſly
6 8 1 delivers

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 93

delivered. + I can't help obſerving here, the
very great Age, to which many of the firſt Settlers of
this Colony lived. Many of them thro? all the
Difficulties and Hardſhips of a new Plantation,
lived here near and ſome above forty Years, and
ſome above ſixty. * Remarkable was the Care

of
\

+ Thus I am informed by a worthy Gentleman, that an Indian,
coming in from Sea, ſick of an uncommon Fever, infected
his Acquaintance, and they propagated the Diſeaſe to
others, and a very great Mortality enſued among the In-
dians, in Narhaganſet ; while the Engliſh, were preſerved
from the Infection.

* Many of the Original Settlers of the Colony, lived thro* all

the Dangers and Difficultics of their new Settlement, above
forty Years, Particularly Mr. Vm. Arnold, Mr. F.Greene &c.
who came up the firſt Year with Mr. Williams. Mr. Harris,
Mr. Olney &c. who came ſoon after Mr. Williams himſelf,
lived till about 1682, when he was buried with all the So.

| lemnity the Colony was able to ſhew. Gov. Arnold, who
came up a Man grown, the fiſt M] inter. dyed a few Months
before Gov. Coddington in 1678. At Warwick Mr. Weekes
was flain by the Indians 1675, a very ancient Man ; and
Mr. Gorton, Mr. Holden &c. ſurvived the War, and ſome of
them, many Years : Particularly Major F. Greene, who
came a Youth to Providence in 1634,5, and was a Com-
miſſioner tor Providence the firſt Aſſembly after the Patent
in 1647. was Deputy Gov. of the Colony 17co, as he had
been many Times before. Here at Newport ſeveral of thoſe
who Incorporated themſelves 1637.8 and of thoſe who came
to them the Summer following ſurvived the Indian War.
Mr. Jobn Clark lived to the 2oth of April 1676. Gov.
Brenton died in 1674. Mr N. Eafton who came 1638 from
Hampton, where he bnilt the fir Engliſh Houſe, as he did
alſo in 1639 in Necuport, lived to 1675, when he died a very
ancient Man, His Son Mr. Jobn Eafton, who, as his Father,
was divers Times Governour of the Colony, died 1705, in his
8 5th Year. Mr. H. Bull, one of the 18 that Incorporated

\themſcives at the firſt, was Governour of the Colony after
the Revolution. Mr. £4 Thurſton, who was Aſſiſtant 1675,

2 and

„% „ „„

9 An Hiſtorical Diſeurſt, &c.

of divine Providence in preſerving them from
Famine in a new Country, where *twas ſome Time
before they could be enabled,to provide for their
comfortableSubſiſtence. God was pleaſed to bleſs
theic Proviſion, and ſatisfy his Poor with Food +

II. We

and many Times Deputy for Newport, died 1706, 7, aged 90

'Years. Mavy fuch Inſtances might be given. And many

of the ſecond Generation, ſuch I mean, as were born within

* the firſt 20 or 25 Years, reached to fourſcore, and ſome

to ninety Years. If we conſider, the long Lives of ſo many
of the firſt Comers, not ithſtanding the Hardſhips and

Diſtre ſſes they underwent, and the Change of Climate,

Diet&c. and to this add, the great Age of many of their Childten,
we can't call the Country, Unhealthy, or the Inhabitants Short -
Lived. The Proportion of ancient People above 70 Years
of Age, to the whole Number of the preſent Inhabitants,
compared with the like Proportion in other Countries,
which have been fully ſettled, and inhabited above 1000

Vears, can be no good Rule to judge by. Eighty Years
agon, the Whole Number of the Inhabitants, and conſe-

quently of the Births here, was very ſmall, perhaps there

were fewer than two hundred Families in the whole Colony.

And the Number of Inhabitants in this Town, has valtly
increaſed the laſt 30 Years. Let me further add, that the
foreſard Rule will not be applicable to this Colony a great
while hence, if ever; b:cauſe, ſo many ef the Natives,
che in the Weſt India Iſlands. It is certain, a very great
Part of thoſe of them who dye between ſixteen and thirty-
ſix, are loſt at Sea, or dye in thoſe Iflands, or
bring home from thence, thoſe Diſeaſes, which ſoon prove
fatal io them here ; tho* *tis notorious, how condu-
ci-e to the Rocovery of Health, a Voyage from thoſe
Iſlands, to the Northern Plantations, is generally found, fo
that we have almoſt always ſome or other of their Inhabi-
tants here for that End. ä

Fanuary 22 1639, it was found that there were but 108
Buſhels of Corn, to ſupply 96 Perſons : Which at the

Propori ion of one Buſhel and half a Peck ro each, was not

more than ſufficient, to ſupply them for ſix Weeks, and y et
it

þ "ai

Ink — gw ay 0

7 @ @ WB

SS AQ. Aa

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 95

II. He muſt remark (however it will ſound in

the Ears of many) that this Colony was a Settle-
ment, and Plantation for Religion andCanſcience ſake.
The firſt Comets, came on this Account; their Bre-
thren may have ſaid many hard Things of them,
in theic Haſte ; but *ris certain the firſt Planters

of this Colony, and Iland, fled not from Religion,
Order, or good Government; but to have Li-

| berty to Worſhip GOD, and enjoy their own re-
ligious Opinions and Belief. They left England

for the ſame Reaſons, and with the ſame Views,

as the reſt; and they left the Maſſachuſetts, as
they tho't, on the like Account, and came here
to purſue, and effect the Ends of their firſt re-
moval into America.

I know well what Account, the New Engliſh
Hiſtorians give of that Set of Men ; but we muſt
remember, they were Parties, and wrote by way
of Apolegy, or to vindicate themſelves from the
Charge of Per/ecution, or Error and Hereſy, both
alike odious. Now if it be conſidered what Ac-
count contending Parties, uſually give' of each
other, and in what a Light, and with what Co-
lours they uſually repreſent their Adverſaries;

no one will charge me, with any Deſign to re-

it was then more than ſo many Months to Harveſt. But there

was plenty of Fiſh, and Fowl, and Veniſon ; and ſoon after,

even to this Day, all the Neceſſaries of Life have been
plentitul. | |

fle&

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| I

96 As Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

fle& on thoſe Gentlemen, whoſe Memory is ſo
highly regarded in the other New- Engliſh-Colo-
nies, if I beg leave to queſtion and ſuſpe@ the
ill Character, they have faſtned on thoſe poor
People, ſome of whom have expreſſed a deep
Reſentment of the Injury, and Wrong that was

done them, by the Hiſtorians of the other Party.

Whoever conſiders the Character, thoſe Writers
give of all other Sects, and Parties of Chriſtians ;
and the Character ſome other Parties give of them,

will be apt to think that both Sides are to be

read with Allowance for their reſpective Prejudices.
I ſay, whoever conſiders the Character the con-
tending Parties of Chriſtians, almoſt for ever
give, not only of each others Terets, or Opinions,
bur of their Conduct, eſpecially in ſo far as relates
to the Support or Spreading their Opinions ; not
only the Papiſts of the Proteſtants, but the Pro-
zeſtants of one another, particularly theLutherans

of the Calviniſls: (Hornbeck ; Summ.) Who-
ever conſiders how common *tis for perſonal Re-

flections, to mix with ſolemn Debates, on the
higheſt and moſt awſul Doctrines, as well as the
leaſt and moſt indifferent; I ſay, whoever con-

fiders theſe Things, will readily acknowledge we

are not to take the Character of any Sect or

| Perſon, barely from the Deſcription of known

Adverſaries ; eſpecially when the Deſcription
doth it ſelf imply many Circumſtances, which

An Hi ſroricat Diſcaurſe, &c. | 97

Af chere he any thipg in that Obſervation,
that the Natute, and Import of the Queſtions, |
<<, abpur which the Difference began, and the Zeal
: wherewith they were handled, intimate ſome-
05 thing of the baly Temper, nt among the
« Body of the People ;” (Magnalia) I defire it
may be conſidered, that thoſe Perſons, were in
repute with the very beſt, for Holineſs and Zeal,
befare this unhappy Contention. Moreover, it
muſt be remembred, that the Points about which
they were charged with Error, are of ſuch a Na-
ture, as that a Perſon's Sentiments may be eaſily

miſtaken,and miſrepreſented. It was long before
the Thr at Boſton could have any Evidence of
their holding thoſe Opinions, which that Church
condemned, the Witneſſes at the laſt wete Parties
and tranſported withZeal. *Tis not doubted there
was ſome Difference in their Opinions, at leaſt in
their Expteſfions; but there is much Ground to
doubt, whether any of them held all the Opinions
condemned in the Synod, and that ſew of them
held many of thoſe harſh Conſequences, which
their Adverſaries, drew from theic Tenets. Be-
ſides much the greater Number were never cen-
ſuc ed at all; but (as I obſerved before) conſidet-
ed as Brethren ; long after theit coming here.

| We cannot reaſonably ſuppoſe that they di-

] rectiy forgot or neglected the ſole End of theic

. 1 a as they followed that Church Order,
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os An Hiſtorica! Diſcourſe, &c.

they judged moſt agreable to the Will of GOD,
and profes thoſe Opinions, and Articles of Be-
lief they tho't GOD had revealed, ſo we muſt
charitably judge, the Life of Religion, and the
Love and Fear of GOD, did not go out, and vaniſh
away, on their leaving all, for bis Name ſake and
tbe Goſpel, i. e. the Liberty to worſhip Him ac-

cording to their Conſciences. And yet all the
other Colonies will be obliged to own, that the

Trials and Temptations of a Wilderneſs, had ſome

unhappy Effects, on many who had ſhewn great

Zeal about Religion.

However, while we are contemplating the Oc-
caſion of our Settlement, and the Ends & Views
of our pious Anceſtors, when we find that Religion
and Conſcionce began ibe Colony, tis natural, tis neceſ-
ſary to reflect & conſider how theſe Ends are anſ-
wered by their Poſterity at preſent. Our Pathers
bore the Heat &Burdenof the Day, and tho' Provi-
dence gave them a pleaſant and fruitful Land, *

| the

Mr. Neale juſtly obſerves (p. 595 ) this Iſland which is a-

bout 14 or 14 Miles long, and about 4 or 5 Miles broad
(tho' of unequal 3 is deſervedly eſteemed the Para»
diſe of Neæau England for the fruitfuſneſs of the. Soil, and the
termperateneſs of the Climate; that tho' it be not above 65
Miles South of Boſton, is a Coat warmer in Winter, and
being ſurrouwded by the Ocean is not fo much affe cted in
Summer uith the hot Land Breezes, as the Touns cn,the.
Continent.“ Let me add, we bave. all Summer a South,
or Southweſterly Sea Breeze, almoſt every Day, which ciſey
about 10 A. M. and wond& fully cools the Air, And *

ceaſon

An Hiſtorical. Di/coarſe, &c. | - -99

the Garden of New England, yet the, ſubduing
and cultivating a Wilderneſs, was a tedious, and
a laborious. Buſineſs, and neceſſarily attended
with many {Hardſhips Straits, and Difficulties.
Their Poſterity poſſeſs the Fruit of their Labour,
and ſhould think themſelves obliged to folfil the
pious Ends of our Plantation. GOD juſtly ex-
pects that we fear the Lord our God, and Love
Him, and walk in his Ways, and ſerve him with
all our Heart. It ſeems, that pute Religion, and
true Godlineſs, is what we in a ni peculiar

4 4.4 „08

reiſon of ſcutheaſterly Sex Breezes, in the Spring, the Sum-
mer does not come on ſo quick as at Boſton, tho the Win-
ter uſually breaks up ſooner. ———— Here let me be per-
mitted to offer a Correction of a vulgar Error, about the
Reaſon of the C, f New England Winters,” which is ſo
very much greater, than in the European Countrys in the
ſame Latitudes. The Lakes uſually bear the Blame of our
cold Northweſt Winds, bur by a Map of the Country of the
five Nations, and ot the Lakes &c. publiſhed at New. York -
by Authority, and ſaid to be taken from a Map of Louiſi ann,
done by Me. De Liſle in 17 18. it appears that all the Lakes,
except the LakeChamplain, are conſiderably to the Weſt ward
of the Northweſt Point, from this Town The chief of thelg
vaſt Lakes are Norrhwelt from Penſiluvania, Maryl nd, and
Virginia. All the great Lakes are Weſt from Albary, as the
Council of New-York ſeem to aſſert; and Albany is, as I ſup-
poſe; nearer We from Boſton than Northwelt. Beſides, it
is ctedibly reported by intelligent Perſons, moſt converſant
in thoſe Regions, that at the moſt Eaſtertr bf the Lakes, the
Winds are uſually Eaſleriy in thoſe Months, when ue are
frozen with North Wen Winds. Perhaps as our Diſtance
from the Equator, occaſions the long Draft of Winds from
North- Weſt, fo the vaſt Body of Lands, uncultivated, and
covered with a perpetual Foreft, which breaks the Rays of
the Sun, and prevents their ReflcRion from the Earth, is
hat occaſions thoſe Winds, to be ſo very cold here.

100 An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c.

manner, owe to GOD, as the very "Quit-Recits

of our Lands, & anAcknowlegement of the merci-
rulProvidences j in our fiiſtSertlement :a5vellas for

the conſtant Favetits of GOD to Us ever ſince,”

11 TE Þ > #55 > 213 T

The Poſterity 06 a ne l were! guided by

the Providence of GQD,-to:this Happy ard, 3s

a ſafe Retreat from the ſtormy Winds; as a Place

of freedom to practice every Branch of Religion
ja, muſt be inexcuſable, if they degenerate and
forget the God of their Fathers. The very Inſtru-
ment f our original Incorp ration, obliges us to

* ſetve GOD & IESsVUSCuRIS r, & obey all his
holy Laws.“ Irreligion then, and; Prophanneſs,
and Immortality muſt be à peculiar Reproachi to

ſuch a People. Our Fathers. will riſe up in J udg-

ment againſt, and condemn their degenerate Off-
ſpring, and the GOD of our Fathers will caſt us
off for, ever, if we do not practice that [Sobriety,
Righteouſneſs, and Godlineſs, which his Goſpel
requires, and we are under ſo many peculiar
Obligations to obſerve. Nay, it will be more
tolerable for the Peguots, the Wampaneags, the
Narraganſets i in the Day of Judgment, than fer
ſuch of us as obey. not the Goſpel of our LORD
J=sps Cuxistr. It iscrue, the Indian Nations

did obſtinately tefoſe the Goſpel, bot they knew
not what they did ; they. did it ignorantly, and
in Uabelief ; while we have known ur Maſter's

Wl z and to u hem much is given, ol them much

. - * - a vi" * *

R
1 — *

5 will

An Hiſtorical: Diſcnmſe, &c. 401

will be required. As we have been as it were
-{lifted' up to Heaven with Privileges, our Fall will
be ſo much the greater, in the bottomleſs: Pit, un-
eſs we lay hold on eternal Liſmmme.
wy EET? i 10. QIV131G9 tw. zi tua
lf our Neighbours obſerve: the Manners; of the
"Tnhabiranrs are reformed in any Inſtances, for-
>merly grievous to them; let us endeavour. to te-
form whatever is ſtill really amiſs among us, and
put away the Evil of our Doings, that the Lord
"GOD may dwell among us. May we be noted
only, and ever, fot the general Diſcharge" of all
publick and private Vertues; for the impartial
Admiaiſtration of Juſtice; and the ſteddy Exe-
*cution of good and wholeſome Laws; and for
leading quiet and peaceable Lives, in all Godline ſs
and Honeſty. es % badi NO) SITW

J =» Yeo

.as well as of Plants and. Aniwals ; yea, and
the Genius and Diſpoſitions of a People, are very
much influenced by, the Soil, and Climate; by the

- 0 - © "= _

In like manner ſome Diſeaſes are peculiar to every Country,
perhaps we may tbνfP ay account for what has been, in vain,
* - attempted to be accounted for ſo many other Ways ; v. the
deficti ve Teeth fo common in New England. Mr.R.Williams,
ſ:ys, that when he firſt came here, the Indians were valtly
ſudject to the Thoth-Ach, and that their very ſtouteſt Men,
- | complained more of that Pain, than their Nomen ol the Pains
of Travail. : l
41 Situation,

.
|
.
|
:
.
;
:
.
.

102 An Hiſtoriral Diſcousſe, &c.

- Situation, the Nature, and Circumſtances of the
Place they inhabit. Thus, the Inhabitants of the
ſevetul Parts of ſtaiy, of Germany &c. are cha-
racterized from their reſpective Countrys ; and
thus it was obſerved of the Cartbaginians. The

_ (peculiar: Gedivs, and Diſpoſitions of a People,

muſt ariſe from hence; or the Form of Govern-
ment, and Laws they live under; or the
Genius of the preſent chief Commanders.
The Narraganſets, who inhabited this Tra& of
Land, before us, were not remarkable among the
Indians, for many Vices peculiar to them, + only
that in proportion to their greater -populouſneſs,
they exceeded in the Vices, common to all the
Indian Nations. Jdleneſs and Intemperance ate
every whiere branded, as Indian Vices ; and they
were complained of, as ſhamefully gegligent in the
Education of their Children, and that they had
in a Manner, no Family Government at all. Tho'
the Face of the Country is greatly changed by
Engliſh Induſtty, and an almoſt Immenſe Labour
and Expence, yet a plentiful Country will always
afford its Inhabitatits Inducements and Tempta-
riots to abuſe the divine Goodneſs, and to turn
the Grace of GOD into Wantonneſs, If inſtead
of having been able, to teach the ladians, Clriftian

2 Mr. Habbard ſays; pa 3. The Narbaganſets, were always |
more Civil and Gourteews. to the Engliſh, than any of the
„ 2 |

Pertuess

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, Bcc 103

Vertues, we ſhould learn, and imitate the Ida
Vices, how unhappy, bow reproachful, how la-
mentable would it be? Surely, we muſe think
GOD expects more from us, with all ou Ad»
vantages of Knowlege, with the Goſpel, the
Word of GOD; which is able to make us wiſe
to Salvation, thro* Faith that is in Chriſt Jeſus:
We have not only theLight of Reaſon, brightned
and improved, but Revelation, to be as a Guide
tous: Let us make the Scriptures then as a
Light to our Feet, and a Lamp to our Path.

And in fine, let every Soct, and Party of
Chriſtians among us, be followers of GOD as dear
Children: Let us be careful to build only Gold,
Silver, precious Stones, on the Rock of Ages, the
true Foundation of our Faith, and Hope: Let us
walk worthy of GOD to all well pleaſing, and a-
dorn the Chriſtian Religion in genera), in. the
Sight of the Heathen ; and recommend one
diſtinguiſhing Opinions to one another, by a more;
exemplary Behaviour; and fo induce others to
glorify GOD our Heavealy Father.

III. Liberty of Conſcience was the Baſis of this
Colony. Our Fathers tho't it juſt and neceſſary to
allow each other mutually to worſhip GOD, as
their Conſciences were reſpectively perſwaded ©
They tho't no Man had Power over the Spitit of
GOD; and that the Duty of the Magiſtrate was

| to

104 An Hr EiRtorical Diſteurſe, Ver".

to-leave every one to follow the Light of his?
Conſcience. They were willing to exhibit to
the World, an Iaſtance that Liberty of Conſci-
ence was confifizat with the publick Peace, and
the flouriſhing of a civil Common Wealth, as. well
as that Chriſtianity could ſubſiſt without Com-
pulſion, and that bearing each others *
was the way to fulfil the Law of Chriſt. |

| 1 do not know there was ever before, ſince the
= World came into the Church, ſuch an Inſtance,
1 as the Settlement ef this Colony and Iſland. In
4 other States the civil Magiſtrate had for ever,
a publick Driving in the particular Schemes f
Faith, and Modes of Worſhip ; at leaſt, by nega-
tive Diſcouragements, by annexing the Rewards
of Honour and Profit to his own Opinions; and
generally, the Subject was bound by penal Laws,
to believe that Set of Doctrines, and to worſhip.
GOD. in that Manner, the Magiſtrate pleaſed to
preſcribe. Chriſtian Magiſtrates would unaccoun-
tably aſſume to themſelves, the ſame Authority,
in religious Aﬀairs, which any of the Kings of
| Tudab, or Iſrael, exerciſed, either by Uſurpaticn,
| or by the immediate Will, and Inſpiration of
GOD ; and a great deal more too. As if the
becoming Chriſtian, gave the Magiſtrate any new,
Right, or Authority over his Subjects, . or over
the Church of Chriſt; and as if that becauſe

wy ſubmitted perſonally to the Authority, and
Gover n-

2 eee eee at tO

An Hiftorical : Diſcourſe,” &c. 105

Government of Chriſt in his Word, that there -
fore they might cloath themſelves, with his Au-
thority ; or rather, take his Scepter out of his
Hand, and lord it over GOD's Heritage. It is
lamontable that Pagans and Infidels allow more
Liberty to Chriſtians, than they were won't to

allow. to one another. *Tis evident, the civil

Magiſtrate as ſuch, can have no Authority to
decree Articles of Faith, and to determineModes
of Worſhip, and to interpret the Laws of Cbriſt
for his Subjects, but what muſt belong to all Ma-
giſtrates; but no Magiſtrates can have mote Au-
thority over Conſcience, than what is neceſſary
to preſerve the publick Peace; and that can be
only to prevent one Set, from oppreſſing ano»
ther, and to keep the Peace between them. No-
thing can be more evidently proved, than “ the
Right of private Judgment for every Man,in the

Aﬀeaics of his own Salvation, and that both from

the plaineſt Principles of Reaſon, and the plain=
elt Declarations of theScripture. This is the Foun-
dation of the Reformation, of the Chriſtian Re-
ligion, of all Religion, which neceſſarily implies
Choice and Judgment. But I.need not labour a
Point, that has been ſo often demonſtrated, ſo
many Ways. Indeed as every Mag believes his
own Opinions the beſt, becauſe the trueſt, and
ought chatitably to with all. others. af the ſame
Opinion, it muſt ſeem reaſonable, the Magiſtrate
ſhould have a publick Leading, in religious Affairs,

Q bur

166 An Hiſtorical Diſeowſt, &c.

bur as he almoſt for ever exceeds the dueBounds,
and as Error prevails ten Times more thanTruth
in the World, the Intereſt of Truth, and the
Right of private Judgment ſeem better ſecured,
by a. univerſal Toleration, that ſhall ſuppreſs all
Prophaneſs, and Immorality, and preſerve every
Party, in the free and undifturbedLiberty of their
Conſciences, while they continue quiet & dutiful
Subjects to the State,

Our Fathers eſtabliſhed a mutual Liberty of
Conſcieace, when they firſt Incorporated themſelves :
this they confirmed under their firft Patent, and
and at the Reſtoration, they petitioned King

Charles 2d. (Charter) That they might be

« permitted, to hold forth a lively Experiment,
dé that a moſt flouriſhing civil State, may ſtand,
* and beſt be maintained, and that among Eng-
6 Jiſb Subjects, with a full Liberty in religious
& Concernments, and that true Piety rightly
& grounded on Goſpel Principles, will give the
<< beſt and the greateſt Security to Sovereignty 3

5 eſt Obligations to true Loyalty. And the
King was pleaſed to make them a Grant, by which

& joy bis own Judgment or Conſcience in Matters

religious Concernment, bebaving bimſelf peacea-
* bly and quietly, and not uſing this Liberty, for

_ &* Licentionſneſs, and Prepbaneſs, wor to the civil

& Injury,

A Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 107

« Injury, or outward Diſturbance of ot bers.
This happy Priviledge we enjoy to this Day, ihto'
the divine Goodneſs ; and the Experiment has
fully anſwered, and even beyond what might
have been expected, from the firf Attempt. The
civil State has flour iſhed, as well as if ſecured by
ever ſo many penal Laws, and an Inquiſition to
put them in Execution. Our civil Officers have
been choſen, out of every religious Society, 4
and the publick Peace has been as well preſerved,
and the publick Councils as well conducted, as we
could have expected, had we been aſſiſted by ever
ſo many religious Teſts.

Au Pcophaneſs, and Immorality, are puniſhed
by the Laws made to ſuppreſs them ; and while
theſe Laws are well executed, ſpeculative Opi-

nions, or Modes of Worſhip, can never diſturb or
injure the Peace of a State, that allows all its
Subjects an equal Liberty of Conſcience. In-
deed it is not variety of Opinions, or ſeperation in

+ It has been no uncommon Sight, to ſee Gentlemen of almoſt
every religious Perſwaſion among us, fitting on the ſame
Bench of Magiſtrates together. And we may always expect
to ſee it, while that Principle prevalls, that the ſureſt May
to preſerve and enjoy our Charter Priviledges, is ſo to divide
the Poſts of Honour, Truſt, and Profit among all Perſwa-
ſions ĩndifferently; and in general, to prefer thoſe Gentle-
men, of whatever religious Opinions they are, that are o-
therwiſe bet qualified, to ſerve the Publick, and adorn their

Stations; and to ſuffer no one religious Sect, to monopo-

line the Places of Power, and Authority. *
4 22 Morſbig,

*
,
]
'D
:

108 An" Hiſtorical Diſecurſe, &c.

Worſhip, that makes Diſorders,” and Conſuſions in
Government : It is the unjuſt, unnatural, and ab-

ſurd Attempt to force all to be of one Opinion,
or to feiga and diſſemble that they are; or the

cruel and impious puniſhing” thoſe, who can't
change their Opinions withour Lich, or Reaſon 3
and will not diſſemble againſt all Reaſon, and
Conſcience. It is the wicked Attempt to force
Men to wol ſhip G00 in a Way, they believe He
hath neither commanded,nor will accept ; and the
reſtraining them from worſhipping Him in a'Me-
thod, they think He has inſtituted, and made
neceſſary for them; and in which alone, they can
be ſincere Worſhippers, and accepted, of GOD;
in which alone, they can find Comfort, & Peace
of Conſcience, and approve themſelves before
GOD; in which alone,they can be honeſt Men,
and good Chriſtians. Perſecution will ever oc-
cation Confuſion & Diſorder, or if everyTongue
is forced to confeſs, and every Knee to bow to
the Power of the Sword: this it ſelf is the great-

eſt of all Diſorders, and the worſt of Confuſions in
the Kiogdem of Chriſt Je ſus. 4

Liberty of Conſcience was never more fully
enjoyed in any-Place,than here ; and this Colony,
with ſome ſince formed on the Re Model, have

| prov'd that the terrible Fears, that Bar barity

would break io, where no particular Forms of

Wa or Diſcipline ay eſlabliſned by the civil
| 4 Power,

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſs, &c. 209

Power, are really vain" and groundleſs; and
that Chriſtianity: can ſubſiſt without a National
Church, or viſible Head; and —* ut being in-
corporated into the Stare. It ſubſiſted ſo for the
firſt :bree bundred Years ; yea, in Oppoſition and
Defiance to all the Powers of Hell and Earth.
And 'tis amazing to hear thoſe who plead for
penal Laws, and the Magiſtrates Right, & Duty
to govern the Church of Caxrrsr, to hear ſuch
Perſons, call the early Times, _ r Ae 1
Chritaniry- n | a

However, as * beſt Things, the wiſeſt Infti«
tutions are ſubject to ſome Inconveniencies, while
ſome Good may accidentally follow the very
worſt Thipgs in the World, it may be worth our
while to conſider, whether ſome Inconveniencies
do not natuially, or have not in Fact, followed
or attended our Conſtitution. The oopiſh laqui-
ſition it ſelf, which is ſuch an open "Tyranny. o-
ver Confcience, and ſuch an abſolute Deſtruct ion
of the Eſſentials of Chriſtianity, and all true
Religion, yet keeps up the Face and Shew of the
greateſt Decorum, Order, and Harmony imagi-
nable. It ought not to be wondred at, if an unli-

0 A by
| « s 4

I am aware, ſome ſuch Charges of Ignorance andBarbarity,
have been formerly inſinuated, and that the People lived
in a State of . but I hope, I have ſaid enough, to,
ſhe v the grounleſsneſ of ſuch Reports ; which were the
PROS. of Prejudice, and-Miſinformation. : .

mited

— — — — — * ——U ——äõ— ——

— "Wb ein ooo oe

4 Hiftorical Diſsaupſe, &c.

mired Toleration of every Doctrine, or Form of
Christian Worſhip, tho' never ſo jaſt in it ſelf,
and ſo uſeful and beneficial in many Reſpects,
yet in ſome other Reſpects, may be attended with,
or productive of ſome JInconveniencies. We
know ſome. followed on theGoſpel itſelf, It can't
be wondred at, if ſome ſhould make an ill Uſe, of

_ this Liberty; yea, if this Liberty it ſelf, ſhould
be unhappily a Snare to ſome Men. Have,never

any in no Parts of theColony, appeared loſt, and
bewildred in a variety of Opinions round them?
At leaſt, is it not likely, there ſhould be ſome
Perſons ſo weak and unſtable ? Have never any
pretended, to think it needleſs, or endleſs, to
ſearch aftet Truth, among ſo manyPrerenders to
it > And have not ſome, in the Heat and Hurry
of Diſpute about the Circumſtantials of Chriſtia-
nity, the Circumſtances of Order, Time, & Place,
grown cold or negligent, about the Vitals & Eſſen-

tials of the Goſpel Covenant? Hath not too much

Zeal about outward Things, too often occaſioned
Ceoſociouſneſs, and Uncharitableneſs,and ſtarved
the Life of Religion Þ Is there no Foundation
for that Character that has been given of too many
among us, that they have a thorovghIndifference
& for all that is ſacced, being equally careleſs of

6 outward Worſhip, and of inward Principles,

c whether of Faith or Practice.“ And “ that
«© they have worn off a ſerious Senſe of all Re-
6 e ligion.” Ir weuld be av wonder if ſome or all

theſe

|
f
|

An Hiſtorical Diſcourſe, &c. 36
theſe evil Conſequences, ſhould have followed, in
ſome Degree; they have often done fo in other
Places, even where there was not the like fair
Occaſion. The Tempter always ſuits his Tempta-
— to the Circumſtances of thoſe he aſſaults.

But theſe Things will be no goodObject ion againſt
Liberty of Conſcience, becauſe infinitely greatet

Evils, neceſſarily follow on Perſecution foi Conſ-
cience ſake.

Nevertheleſs our own Experience, on the Ob-
ſervations, and Reproaches of others, will diſ-
Y poſe us to be peculiarly careful, againſt all theſe
Evils, and ſome others, that our Conſtitution may
be peculiarly liable and expoſed to. Here in a
particular Manner, let us be exhorted,

1. To prevent our religious Differences, from be-
ing ever carried into our civil Affairs. -- Let them
never make Factions in Government.

2. Let us ſtudy for Peace, and to promote mutual
Love among Chriſtians of every Denomination. We
ſhould love all of CHRIS r, we ſee in them, and
as far as poſſible ſpeak the ſame Things. On the
one Hand, we ſhould take heed that Charity and
mutual Forbearance don't fink into Lukewarmneſs
and Indifference to the Truth of the divine Infti-
tutions; and on the other Hand, we ſhould main-
tain our own Opinions, and manage the Defence
of them, when Need requires it, with a Chriſtian

| | Spirit

PPP EC EE Es

.
I
4
i

— —— — —
r
S

2 4 * 2 _— —
ee ͤ˙ »'' r . K«„%ꝛ0tͤͤ — END
WF 5

tiz An Hiſtorical Diſcurſe, &c.

Spirit of Candour, and Moderation. Eſpecially,
let us be warned by our own Hiſtory; to take heed
of imputing to others, the Conſequences we think

follow from their Opinions; if on the Account
of the Conſequences, we can't embrace their O-

pinions, yet let us remember, every Man's Opi-
nion muſt be taken from his own Underſtanding,

andJudgment, and not from the Underſtanding,

and Judgment of other Men.

It is no Pleaſure to any real Chriſtian, to ſee

his Brethren, the Diſciples of IBSS CHRIS IT,
ſo divided as they ate thro' the World, in their

Opinions of various Articles, of his Religion ; and
much leſs, to ſee them ſo divided in their Aﬀections.
Indeed, confidering the finite Capacity, and the
Corruption of humane Nature, we oughtito expect
a variety of Opinions in Religion, as well as in
every Thing elſe. But as the Enemies to the Croſs
of Chriſt, make this, tho? unjuſtly, a Reproach to
Chriſtianity ; and as many weak Perſons, ate car-
ried away with the Errors of the Wicked, every
ſiacete Chriſtian can't help wiſhing, that every
tumbling Block, and Rock of Offence, was re-
moved out of the Way, and that all Chriſtians

walked in the Truth, with one Conſent of Heart
and Voice. It is a Grief to a Chriſtian, as 'tis a

Scandal to the whole World, to ſee Chriſtians,
(fo called) full of Envy, and Malice, hating, and
ceviling one another, and ſmiting with the Fiſt 1

Wickedneſs.

As Hiſtorical” Diſcourſe, &c. | 113

Wickedneſs. This, when all is ſaid and done, is,
a mare Full, 200 Joſt Argument, that ſuch have no
Part in Chciſt, than any ſuppoſed orthodoxy.
of Opinion, can be of .theic. Intereſt | in
Him. For by this (ſays he) ſoall all. Men: know
that ye are my Diſciples, if ye. bave Love one to an-
tber. It is a glorious Sight, to ſee the Diſciples
of IAS us, live in Love & Peace, and ſweetly.
bear with one another in their leſſer Differences:
To ſee every one, keeping the Ordinances, as he,
thinks CuRAIS r has commanded him, and at the
ſame. Time, carefully abſtaining from all Evil, and
the Appearances of Evil; and practiſing whatſo-
ever Things are true, honeſt, juſt, and pure ;
whatſoeverT hings ate lovely, and of Faanbpen

225

When we i ee to ſearch theSccipture,
and Liberty to believe, and profeſs what we | find
there revealed, how unhappy would it be, if any
ſhould neglect thele Priviledge, and be Fools and
flow of Heart to improve the Opportunity they 1
enjoy? How unhappy would it be, if any ſhould
negle& the Worſhip of GOD, and theInfliturions;
of Cur tsr Js vs, becauſe they are not enforced. *
by humane penal Laws? Let us be all able ever
to give an Anſwer to every one, that esks us a
Reaſon of the Hope that is ip us, with Meekneſs,
and Fear; and let us lay aſide all Wrathßz Anger,
Malice, Bigotry, and Cenſoriouſneſs; and en-
dea vout to pay a univerſal and conſtant Regard

I R to

nh 4 Hiſtorical Diſcourſe,” &c.

to the Will of G0, revealed in his Word.

Let us be united to Chrit Jeſus by a true & living
Faith; add let every Man take heed how be build-
eth: Other Fundation tan no Man lay, than that

which is laid, viz. the Prophets & Apoſtles, Jeſus

Cbriſt biinſelf being the great cornerStone. Now if any

Man build on this Foundation, Gold, Silver, precious
Sons, Wood, Hay, Stubble , every Man's Work ſbal
be made manifeſt. For the Day ſbalk declare it, be-
cauſe it ſhall be revealed by Fire ; and the Fire ſhall
try every Man's Work, of what ſort it is. If an
Man's Work ſhall be burat; be ſhall /« fferLoſs ; but be
bimſelf ſhall be ſaved ; yes ſo, as by Fire.

3. Above all Things, V, us unite in the praflice
of Piety and H-lineſs. Let us do juſtly, and love
Mercy, and walk humbly with GOD; let us deny
all Ungodlineſs, and every worldly Loſt; & live
ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly, and perfect Ho-
lineſs in the fear of GOD. Theſe Things we may
do without any Offence to any Party of Chriſtians.
If we be followers of that which is Good, who are
they that will harm us, or be offended at us on that
Account. Each Party requires all Men, to be te-
deemed from a vain Converſation; every Party
owns the Neceſſity, if they differ in the Natute of the
Obligation of theſe Duties: Let us then unite in
the Practice of them, and have our Converſation,
as becometh the Goſpel, which we in common pro-

feſs. How unhappy, how inexcuſable, r
5 3 :

As Hi derte Dic, Bi

be, if Liberty of Conſcience ſhould. * nt
2 open Door for a Flood of Im-
moralities ? If while we plead a Right | do think,
and judge for our ſelves, and rejeQ all meer hu-

4 $

man Authority, in Matters of Faith & Worſhip;

we ſhould negle& the ſacred Laws of GOD, and
the unalterable, and eternal, Duties of Morality ?
It is certainly a Reproach to Chriſtians, that they
can be ſo zealouſly affected, about the Things,

which are peculiar & diſtinguiſhiog| to each Set
reſpectively, and yet be ſo cold, and negligent of
thoſe; wherein they all agree. It is teaſonable to
ſuppoſe thoſe Docttines & Duties, which all agree
in, are the moſt important, and eſſential Let us
then be truly concerned to glorify, & ſerve. GOD,
by a true & ſpiritual Worſhip, and the Vertues of
a good Life; and to imitate the Example, which the
great Author and finiſher of our Faith hath ſer vs.

Let us held faſt the Form of ſound” Words we
have received, and not make Shipwrack of Faith,

and a good Conſcience.

IV. I had hall be excuſed, if on thieOccafion,

I exhort the Members of this Church in particular,

to review the merciful Providence: of GOD. which
bave bitherto preſerved this Vine, which we tuft,

bis own Right Hand bath Planted, We en may ſiag
of Judgment and of Mercy; in many ſore Loſſes
and Bereavements ; ; in ſome uncomfortable Con-

tentions; and in a total failure of Elders, for
| Re 4

:Z
'
;
|
3
Y

11s , Hithical" Diſcvurn, &
many Years together. Nevertheleſs;the burning

Buſh has nat been conſumed; the Church has till

ſubſiſted, and been reſettled eim in Peate and
Temtfoct. Various are the Stormy in which this
Church has been toſſed; but thro*/them all, GOD
has preſerved us. May we, and our Succefſors,

be as a Name, and a Praiſe to Him, throughout

all Generations ! - Let us pray the Father of
Lights, aud the Lord of the Harveſt,. to revive
and proſper his Work in the midſt of theſe Years,
May He unte our Hearts roLove Him mote,and
Serve Him bettet; and to Love one another, and
ſtrive together to promote his Glory, and our mu-
tual Edification, and Growth in Grace. May he
t hat miniſtreib Seed to the Sower, both miniſter Bread
for your Food, and multiply the Seed ſoun, and in-
creaſe the Fruits of your Righteouſneſs. Hil

As this was the fieſt Society, ſettled j in Church
order on this. land, as tis the eldeſt, (cho nestly
the leaſt) let us ſtrive to go before;all others, . in
the primitive Simplicity, Love, lategrity, and

nn Spiritedneſs, IT 899d i v

Let us copſider, whether we make good the

Fred of thoſe pious & excellent Chriſtians, who
firſt formed. this Church; & whether theSucceſſors
of Men, ſo holy, and 1 \ zealous,are not obligedi in

i fngular Manger, to imirate them, wherein they

| followed Cyxrisr. Ve have profeſſed ; a Sub-
jeQion to the Goſpel. of 0 HR1IST 3 let our Lights
ſhing

r I

* *

n Biftotigtl Diſcourſe, &c. Tay]

fine before Mea; "R let us adorg: the Dokkrind of

God out $'xvtreo' 4 1 in alłfrhings; und let us hold
the Beginning of our Confidence, ſtedfaſt to the
Eud ; and let us copſider one another, to provoke
unto Love; and to good Wotkstt la fine, let us
contend earneſtly. for the Faith 1 0 Ordet of the
Goſpel, once delivered to the Hi Hi "ar he
ſame Time, maintain the : unity s of | Kh in

Spitit 1
the Bonds of Peace. Him chat i is Wes in i Pale
receive, but not to doubtful Diſp utations Ag
the GoD: of Patience & Contolatibn grant ut cb
be like minded obe towards angther, ac bord og
10 CAI Jays n TRA

V. Is it not proper 20 rend hes ver We
Altevari ian which the merciful Providence.of GOD bas
made, in-theoutwardCircamftances,and Accommoda-
tions of tbe Inbabitants of the Jiand * oak .
oy Jrf Knee bere. | I

We have reaſon to thiok, the very firſt Setlers,
dil na not come bere empty bended; v but as their Stock,

on which they lived, was _ D conſumed,
the produce of wild Lands was BY to go bot a
little way, in/purchaſing a new Supply of many
Comforts of Life; and they were obliged to make
an hardShift with ſuch Things, as the preſentGene-
ration perhaps may too much deſpiſe. I don't well
know, how to deſcribe the Difference in ſomeAcrti-

cles,. in ſuitable & grave Expreſſions: the mention

4) Vid. Mc.CGotton'sWay of r 61.

of *j

„

ms fs Hiſtorical Diſcoarſe, bc:
of fome Inſtances, would perhaps ſurprize many.
Let us then be thankful to GOD, who. bas, bleſſed

| L | the Labours of our Hands; and let us not wax
[ Pat and kick againſt, GOD, now we have eaten,
| und are full of the Mercies of the Lord.

: : S797 350 3+ . 63 ot! 71 : Nn * 2
4 * Nay, would it be unuſeful, or improper, to think

| of the outward Accommodations which che pe
| ſent Engliſh Inhabitants enjoy, above the Aboriginal
KB Natives, and their miſerable Remainders among us F
; s Co 34% 3188 4 15 1 08 9 26 re
] Doubt ſeſs, it would excite our Gratitude to GOD

Bleſſed be thou, LORD God of Iſrael, our Father, for
| ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the Greatneſs,
. und the Pewter, & the Vittory, es tbe Majeſty, for all
2 #hat is in the Heaven, or in the Earth,is thine. :Thine
| Ts the Kingdom, O LORD, and thow art \ exalted as
| Head about all. Both Ricbes, S Honour como of thee,
and thoy reigneſt over all; & in tbina fand is Power,
| andMight, and in thineHand it is to makeGreat,and
| Yo give Strength unts all, Now therefore our GOD,
i we rhank thee, and praiſe thy glorious Name !
| VI. Laſtly. Asthe-piousPeople,who firſt plant-
| ed this Hand and Colony, were ſo concerned, about
| the beſt way of evidencing a Man's good Eftate,me»
thinks, there is no more proper Remark, for us to
finiſh with, than the Duty, cbeWiſdom, and tbe Ne-
eeffity of every ane, to get into 4 good Eſtate as. 10
00, and the future World; and'to'ſtek after ſuffi-

Gas. F Bn 2 * 4 - | * a ng oy 2
4 \ 4 4 8 * 1 * * * ” a * 8 |
4 * 9 my "7 >, E , | 1 * . * - \ l
* 1 . s F - - * 9
1 4 bans ! \ "i ne” j n . * 4 os * 7 54G N
* - 0 | * * "© *%
s o - 4

An: Hiſtorical Dela 119: £ =

I mean nottorevive ee 3. lam well 3 by
ſati>fied, the Difference may be.compromiſed, wii
great Raſe & Juſtice ; but to perſwade each of u ©
to think of this Article, with ſeriouſneſs, & ſuitable: „
Concern. What / will it ſignify, which of thoſe
Wa ys is the moſt ſatisfactory, if we ourſelves haas
no Grounds for Satisfaction, in either of them 7
And what can excuſe us neglecting to work out
our Salvation, and make our Calliog & Election
ſure, when GOD is working in us to will, and to ke”
do, of his good Pleaſure? Alas l how very com-
mon'is it for Perſons, who live under the Goſpel, |

to be very careleſs & unconcerned in ihis Matterꝰ 1
for many who call themſelves Chriſtians, to pre- | |
ſume they are ſomething, when indeed they are - 4

nothing? and cry Peace, Peace to themſelves, when
they are in the Gall of Bitterneſs, and the Bonds

of Iniquity ; and have no Lot or Pare i in x the
Chriſtian Salvation ?

| A Man' $ good. Eftate conſiſts In his being recon N
ciled to God through FeſusChriſft,who was delivered
for our Offences, & raiſed again for our Juſtification. ö
Let us aim to have both the Teftimony of our ows i: 1
f Conſciences, and the Spirit of God witneſſing toget ber
with our Spirit, that we are the Children of GOD, +
end Heirs with Cu AIs r, to the Inheritance of _
the Saints in. Light. And may He that is able,
keep us from falling, and preſent us faultleſi, be Pa...
fore his Preſence with exceeding Joy ;

7 | |

we Conitlude; 5 put a in

+ "Hi Ava — e.

"Ins our mortal tranſitory Conditian, and ſo ſlir
un oh che more; to give Diligence to make our
Calling and Election ſore, The Geiietations of

Men ate paſſing away continually. Not one Per-
en, that we kaow of, is now alive, ef all #boſe who

began this Settlement; and but few remain of the
ſetond Generation, Death is daily prey ing upon
us. Should e not then be the more quickned

in the ſecuring bur eternal Welfare ? Should we
nt do With. dur Might, what out Hands find 2m
d05 before the Night of Death overtakes us?

3411 by £4144 1 f

N £8 eqnember We are Str, ngers and Pigs |
avere all our Fathers ; ; and | let 1 us ſeek a

1 eh which is to come, which bath LB TO
**hoſe Builder & Maker is GOD. And let us be
dens of thoſe, who througbFaith & Patience,

ſahetit the Promiſes. 7 115

| Let this Occaſion, an Occaſſ on we can never ex-

"6 again, excite vs to number our Days aright;

2250 to apply our Hearts to true Wiſdom, May

. repare f for Death and Judgment, and the
enz World, 45 that © an Entrance may be at laſt
| Aida: to 05 into the Evetlaſting gKingddm of

Lord & Saviour J sus C N $ er
9 of Hir inf fate Meriy grant this? Him: N49.
$228 # wth the Fl ien und the Hor SITZ *
TRE e . Power) bord now kg ever. "AMEN.

* « 5 *
18 1 - a; * 41 51
** 5
> 1

—
=

See ee e e e e ene

Advertiſement.

d 7 *
*
1 .
*
* *
p .
's -

T
© \ . 4 P
*

He Reader is deſired to Excuſe & Greed the wrong Punctu-

ation in ſeveral} Places, and the following Errata, moſt

of which injure the Senſe ; and to inſert a few Amendments.

Title Page, reid the firſt Century.

Dedication p. 4 J. 5. r. Oppoſition. I. 15. r. and his. p. 6.
I. 6. f. ſeemed, r. ſecured. |

Sermon p.1.1.2.in the Note f. Miantonimok.r. Miantoniĩmob.
p. 1 1. I. 18. after and which, inſert at firft. p. 12.1. 11. after
Chatter, inſert, which included Liberty of Conſcience. p. 19.
I. 22. f. Eaft r. laſt. In the Note l. I. f. Nantigganſick r. Nan-
hyganſick, p. 22. I. 5. r. expreſs in their own Way. p. 28. l. 7.
r. Gods. p. 30. 1. 7. dele the ſouth - eaſterlj Part of. Note. 1.4.
dele firſt. p. 32. L 12. r. Wampanoags. p. 34. Note l. 8. r.
become. p. 41. I. 20. r. Forms. p. 45.1. 10. f. Aſſociates r.

Aſſiſtants. p 46. 1. 17. f. to r. at. p. 53. I. 2. r. Judgment.
p. 56. Note l. 9. r. Williams, p. 60 1.17. r. Arguments, p.

62. 1. 2. f. this r. the. 1. 4 f. their r. theſe, p. 65. I. 25. r. J. & J.
Maxon. p. 66. 1. 19. r. 1700. p. 50. 1. 7: r. Sachem. I. g. r. Naas -

hyganſicks p. 72. 1. 16. after Terror, inſert, and fo. p. 73. I. T.
r. Wampanoaps. p. 76. I. 12. r. 19th December. p.78. 1.1. for
In, r. on. I. 2. from the bottom, f. in, t. from. p. 79. Notes J. 7.

for Awaſhonks, r. Weetamore, p. 83. J. 11. f. Societies, r.

Sectaries. p. 86. 1 laſt but one, r. Nicommors p.91. 1.21. . a

few who. 1. 22. r. remain. p. 92. 1,19. forBoſton, r. Chat leo wu.
94. 1. 23 in the Notes, for part of thoſe of them who, r.

roportion. 1, 27, r. Recovery. p. 100. 1. 23. r. Wampanoags.
p. 109. I. 4 in the Note r. Groundleſsneſs J. 10. f. the r. thoſe

P: III. I. 10. f. on r. or. p. 112. I. 5. f. the r. thoſe.

SD Ded eee e F

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Full text of "An historical discourse on the civil and religious affairs of the colony of Rhode-Island and Providence plantations in New-England in America. From the first settlement 1638, to the end of the first century. By John Callendar, A.M. 1739"

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